Taylor Swift’s concert in Madrid complained, is it her fault?
The mayor of Madrid has stepped in after neighbours complained of ‘unbearable noise’ from concerts at the Bernabeu stadium as Taylor Swift arrived in the city.
The mayor of Madrid is in talks with Real Madrid football club, following complaints about “unbearable noise” from concerts at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Neighbours of the stadium have reached breaking point, just as Taylor Swift is due to perform at the Bernabeu on two evenings this week.
Real Madrid began hosting concerts at its new stadium on 26 April and plans to hold 15 concerts during May and June. The club received €360m from the Legends and Sixth Street groups after signing a 20-year agreement for the use of the stadium as an events space in 2022. It will also receive 70% of the proceeds from the events, and is reported to be looking to make €400m a year from concerts.
One neighbour, named Nicolas, who set up a @ruidobernabeu account on X to complain about noise at the stadium, said the police had measured 84.9 decibels of concert noise in his home, when the local limit for residential areas at nighttime is just 53 decibels. He also complained of concert noise at quarter to one in the morning.
Nicolas said the stadium had previously held five or six concerts a year, which was in line with regulations allowing occasional celebrations in residential areas, but continuous year-round programming was not. “A stadium with a sports licence has been converted into an eventdrome,” he said.
Some concertgoers have also raised questions about the acoustics at the stadium during the first concerts but music promoters have said it is normal for there to be some adjustments after opening and that the acid test would be Taylor Swifts “mega-concerts”.
Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez Almeida said: “It is obvious that there is non-compliance in the field of sound around the Bernabeu as a result of the concerts.”
Taylor Swift during a performance.
Martinez said Real Madrid was keen to find a solution that would keep concerts going, while respecting the peace and quiet of neighbours. “It’s a technical issue and this will have to be addressed to see what the best solutions are,” he added.
Residents have already reported seeing black fabric placed on a gap in the exterior of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, ahead of the Taylor Swift concerts.
Borja Carabante, Madrid City Council’s councillor for the environment and mobility, said there would be fines for every concert that had taken place at the Bernabeu so far.
Responsibility for any fines would fall on the concert promoters who had requested authorisation for their events, but the football club could not remain “oblivious” to the complaints. Madrid’s local noise regulations provide for fines that range from 600 euros for a light infraction to 300,000 euros for the most serious offences.
Source: AV Magazine
