The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is Real Madrid’s home on Paseo de la Castellana, five metro stops from Sol and, since its renovation, one of the most visited stadiums in Europe on match days and non-match days alike. Whether you’re here for a La Liga game, a Champions League night, the Bernabéu Tour or a concert under the retractable roof, the practical questions are the same: what can you bring in, how do you get there, and what do you do with a backpack or suitcase when the stadium has no cloakroom or lockers. This guide answers them, with the current capacity, tour details, bag rules, prohibited items, transport and luggage storage.
Coming straight from the station or airport? Store your bags three minutes from the Bernabéu and go in with just your phone and ticket.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: Key Facts
| Address | Avenida de Concha Espina 1, 28036 Madrid (Paseo de la Castellana) |
| Capacity | About 78,000 after the renovation, rising towards 85,000 as the last phases complete |
| Opened | 1947; full rebuild with retractable roof and pitch completed 2024 |
| Metro | Santiago Bernabéu (Line 10), at the stadium; Nuevos Ministerios (Lines 6, 8, 10 + Cercanías), 10 min walk |
| Bags | No published size limit; bulky items and baby carriages refused; all bags searched |
| Cloakroom / lockers | None at the stadium |
| Drinks | No containers over 500 ml of any material; no alcohol |
| Gates open | About 2 hours before kick-off (visiting fans’ Tower D 90 min) |
| Bernabéu Tour | Daily, including most match days until a few hours before kick-off |
| Official site | realmadrid.com |
Bernabéu Capacity After the Renovation
The Bernabéu Stadium’s official capacity since the rebuild is around 78,000, and Real Madrid’s plan takes it towards 85,000 once the remaining seating works are finished. That already makes it the second-largest stadium in Spain after the new Camp Nou. The rebuild added a 360-degree video board, a retractable roof that closes in about 15 minutes, a retractable pitch stored in an underground “greenhouse”, and a skywalk around the top of the new façade. On concert nights the floor adds standing capacity, which is why acts like Taylor Swift and Karol G have played multiple nights here.
The Bernabéu Tour: Hours, Tickets and What You See
The Bernabéu Tour is one of Madrid’s most visited attractions, open every day of the year except 25 December and 1 January, and on most match days until a few hours before kick-off. The self-guided route takes you through the trophy room with all 15 European Cups, the museum, the panoramic viewpoint, the players’ tunnel and the new dugout area, with an interactive section and the official store at the end. Allow 90 minutes to two hours.
- Tickets: buy online at realmadrid.com; adult tickets start around €35 with reduced prices for under-14s and seniors, and timed entry on busy days. Book ahead for weekends and school holidays.
- Entrance: Tower B on Paseo de la Castellana, by the Santiago Bernabéu metro exit.
- Bags on the tour: small bags go through the scanner; suitcases, cabin cases and large backpacks are not admitted and there are no lockers inside, so a lot of visitors arriving between flights are turned away at the door.
- Match days: the tour closes several hours before kick-off and the route is shortened; check the day’s hours on the official site.
Bernabéu Bag Policy and Prohibited Items
Real Madrid doesn’t publish a centimetre bag limit for the Bernabéu Stadium the way English clubs do. The stadium regulations ban “bulky objects”, baby carriages and anything that could obstruct an evacuation, and every bag is opened and searched at the outer security ring on Castellana. In practice, handbags and small daypacks are fine; hiking backpacks, cabin cases and shopping bags from the official store you bought earlier are the ones that cause problems. There is no cloakroom, and the club states it isn’t responsible for items refused at the gate.
| Category | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Bags and objects | Bulky bags, suitcases, prams and baby carriages, anything throwable |
| Food and drink | Any container over 500 ml or 500 g (metal, glass, plastic, ceramic, wood); alcohol |
| Banners and flags | Larger than 2 m x 1 m, on rigid poles, or not inspected by security; anything inciting violence |
| Tech | TV cameras and professional microphones without club authorisation; drones |
| Dangerous | Pyrotechnics, flares, explosives (checked by canine units), weapons, drugs |
Small sealed water bottles under 500 ml usually pass; caps are removed. Tickets are digital and personalised through the Real Madrid app, and the club warns that resale tickets are routinely cancelled.
How to Get to the Santiago Bernabéu
| From | Route | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sol / city centre | Metro Line 1 to Tribunal, Line 10 to Santiago Bernabéu; or Line 2 + Line 10 via Alonso Martínez | About 20 min |
| Atocha | Cercanías C-3/C-4 to Nuevos Ministerios, then 10 min walk up Castellana | About 20 min |
| Chamartín station | Metro Line 10 two stops, or 20 min walk down Castellana | 5–20 min |
| Barajas Airport | Metro Line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios, then walk or Line 10 one stop | About 30 min |
| Bus | Lines 14, 27, 40, 43, 120, 147 and 150 stop on Castellana | Varies |
Santiago Bernabéu station (Line 10) opens straight onto the stadium, but it closes to inbound passengers before the end of big matches and the queue to get back in afterwards can take 30–45 minutes. Walking 10 minutes down Castellana to Nuevos Ministerios, with four lines and Cercanías, is the faster way out. Driving isn’t worth it: Castellana closes around the ground and parking is residents-only.
Matchday Tips
- Kick-off times in La Liga run from 14:00 to 21:00 and are confirmed only two to three weeks ahead, so book flexible travel.
- Arrive early. The outer security ring, bag search and app ticket scan take time; two hours before a 21:00 kick-off is normal.
- Late finish. A 21:00 game ends around 23:00. Plenty of Radical Storage partners near the stadium stay open past 23:00, but check the closing time of the one you book.
- Cashless stadium. Bars and kiosks inside are card-only.
- Eat before. The bars along Calle de Marceliano Santa María and around Nuevos Ministerios are the pre-match classics; inside, queues at half-time are long.
Luggage Storage Near the Bernabéu Stadium
A lot of Bernabéu Stadium visitors are between trains or flights: the tour on the morning of departure, a match the evening you land, or a Chamartín connection with luggage. With no lockers at the stadium and bulky bags refused at the gate, the fix is to store luggage a few minutes away before you reach the security ring.
Radical Storage has verified partner shops and businesses right around the stadium, several within three to eight minutes’ walk and open until 22:00–midnight, plus more at Nuevos Ministerios and across Madrid. Book online in a minute, pay a flat rate per bag with no size or weight limits, drop your luggage and collect it after the tour or the match. Every bag is protected up to €10,000, cancellation is free and travellers rate the service 4.8/5.
- Luggage storage next to the Santiago Bernabéu, three to eight minutes from the gates.
- Luggage storage near Nuevos Ministerios for Cercanías and airport Line 8 arrivals.
- Luggage storage near Chamartín station for high-speed train connections.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium FAQ
Around 78,000 after the renovation completed in 2024, with Real Madrid’s plan taking it towards 85,000 once the final seating phases are finished. It is Spain’s second-largest stadium after the new Camp Nou.
Small bags and daypacks are allowed after a search. The stadium bans bulky objects, prams and anything that could obstruct an evacuation, so suitcases and large backpacks are refused, and there is no cloakroom or locker to leave them in. Store luggage nearby before you reach the security ring.
No. The Bernabéu Tour has no lockers and does not admit suitcases or large backpacks. Radical Storage partner locations sit three to eight minutes from the Tower B tour entrance and next to the Santiago Bernabéu metro station.
The Bernabéu Tour is open every day except 25 December and 1 January, with shorter hours on match days. Adult tickets start around €35 online at realmadrid.com, with reduced prices for children and seniors. Allow 90 minutes to two hours.
Santiago Bernabéu on Line 10 opens directly onto the stadium. Nuevos Ministerios (Lines 6, 8, 10 and Cercanías) is a 10-minute walk and is the faster exit after a match, with a direct Line 8 link to Barajas Airport.
Only containers under 500 ml, usually with the cap removed. Anything larger in metal, glass, plastic, ceramic or wood is refused, as is alcohol. Food and drink are sold inside, card only.
Radical Storage has partner locations around the stadium, at Nuevos Ministerios and near Chamartín station, several open until 22:00 or later. Book online, drop your bags at a verified local business and collect them after the match or tour, with protection of up to €10,000 per bag.
