Real Madrid is transforming its Santiago Bernabéu stadium into a festive theme park over the Christmas period.
Between December 24 and 31, during LaLiga’s two-week break, the Spanish football team will convert its 84,000-seat home arena into a family-friendly event space, featuring lights, live music, and shows.
The move will generate extra revenue from the stadium during the Christmas football break. Bernabéu is now among the world’s most advanced stadiums following a £1bn refurbishment completed in 2024.
Real Madrid became the first football club to surpass €1 billion in revenue after reopening the stadium, solidifying their position at the top of Deloitte’s Football Money League.
Diversifying income streams
Real Madrid’s Christmas theme park will benefit from the stadium’s upgrades, such as a retractable roof and a two-floor Starbucks occupying over 900 sqm.
The event has been compared to Winter Wonderland, London’s annual Christmas event in Hyde Park, which draws 2-3 million visitors each year from mid-November to early January.
Football clubs are increasingly seeking innovative ways to generate revenue from their stadiums outside matchdays. Many new stadiums, such as the industry-leading Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, are built with year-round usage in mind.
Spurs added a retractable synthetic turf pitch for hosting its annual NFL games, enhanced acoustics for hosting concerts with international stars like Beyonce and included a Formula 1-branded karting track beneath the venue.
Since opening the 62,000-seat stadium in 2019, Tottenham’s revenue has risen sharply, surpassing £500 million.
Last month, Real Madrid and Apple announced a new strategic collaboration to redefine the matchday experience, both inside and beyond the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
The club also recently partnered with Moment Factory, a multidisciplinary entertainment studio with over 24 years of expertise in creating immersive experiences, to develop Realmadrid Games, a multi-level interactive journey through the corridors of the Bernabéu.
Images courtesy Mavidad Bernabéu
