Evacuation Challenges at Camp Nou.. Can the Stadium Be Evacuated in Four Minutes?

The Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that Barcelona's management has made significant improvements to the evacuation system at Spotify Camp Nou, where Joan Sentís, project manager of Espai Barça, announced that the average evacuation time at full capacity was previously about eight minutes, and it has now been reduced to four and a half minutes after conducting a precise simulation to ensure quick and safe mass exit in emergencies.

Despite these promising expectations, an actual test conducted during the match against Athletic Bilbao with 45,000 spectators showed that some areas, especially the lateral side of the first tier, still face major challenges. Previously, there were 13 staircases to access the seats, while the current version has only seven, although they are slightly wider, which doubles the number of fans that must be evacuated through each staircase. Additionally, 13 exits that existed in the front rows were removed, causing noticeable congestion during exit and re-entry at halftime.

The newspaper added that this congestion, although not noticeable from the VIP box or to the media, poses a challenge that the club must pay attention to in order to ensure the safety of the fans, emphasizing that the goal remains to provide the best possible experience in what is considered one of the most prominent stadiums in the world.

The newspaper pointed out that these improvements and accompanying measures demonstrate Barcelona management’s commitment to reducing evacuation time by up to 40% compared to the past, while adhering to safety procedures and training for emergency scenarios.