Santiago Bernabéu:
how the stands work
and where to sit

What changed with the rebuild

The Santiago Bernabéu stands on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid's Chamartín district and has hosted Real Madrid's home matches since 1947; it took the name of the club's president in 1955. The rebuild that began in 2019 and was completed in 2024 changed it more than any previous works: the arena gained a retractable roof, a 360-degree screen running around the whole bowl under the roof and a pitch that retracts underground, while the outside was wrapped in steel panels. Capacity after the rebuild is around 78,000.

For a spectator that means three things. Rain and wind hardly get in the way: the roof is closed when the weather calls for it. Replays and line-ups are visible from any section, because the screen runs all the way round. And the sound is denser: with the roof closed the stands are as loud as the old Bernabéu was only on European nights.

Four stands: Lateral Oeste, Lateral Este, Fondo Norte and Fondo Sur

The stadium is divided into four stands by the points of the compass, and the section names on the tickets follow the Spanish names. Lateral Oeste, the west side stand, is the main stand: the dugouts, the presidential box, the Palco de Honor, and the players' tunnel are here. Lateral Este, the east side stand, faces it, and from there you look across the pitch at the benches and the box. Both side stands run along the touchline, and they hold the central sections people travel to Madrid for.

Fondo Norte and Fondo Sur are the stands behind the goals. The lower tier of the south stand, Fondo Sur, is home to Grada Fans RMCF, the section of the club's most active supporters: this is where the singing goes on for the whole match and where the banners and displays start. The north stand is calmer. Away supporters are usually given a section on the upper tier, and at matches against Atlético or Barcelona it can be heard across the whole stadium.

Four tiers: from Grada Baja to Tercer Anfiteatro

In height the Bernabéu is divided into four tiers. Grada Baja, the lower tier, starts right at the pitch: from the side stands you see the players' faces and hear the benches, but the far corner of the pitch is seen at a sharp angle. Primer Anfiteatro, the first amphitheatre, rises above it: the pitch is further away, but all of it is in view, and many of Real Madrid's regulars consider it the best tier for understanding the game rather than only feeling it.

Segundo Anfiteatro sits higher still, with the boxes between the tiers, and Tercer Anfiteatro, the third amphitheatre, is the highest and steepest tier of the stadium: the whole pitch is in view, as on the broadcast from the high camera, the stairs are noticeably steeper than below and the players look small. This is the tier where the most affordable seats for Real Madrid matches are.

How the categories map onto the Bernabéu

We work with four categories, and at the Bernabéu they map onto the tiers like this. VIP is hospitality: a seat in a side stand plus a lounge or a box with catering before the match, at half-time and after the whistle. Premium is the lower tier of the side stands between the penalty areas, the best view in the stadium without food or a separate area. Category 1 is the first and second amphitheatres along the touchline. Category 2 is the stands behind the goals and the third amphitheatre.

How the categories work at any stadium is explained in our article on football ticket categories. The hospitality formats at the Bernabéu, including the VIP Box Azul right by the pitch, are covered in the article on hospitality.

Why we confirm a section, not a seat

The club allocates seats for a match through its own programmes and releases the seating closer to the game, so a month before El Clásico nobody can honestly tell you a row and seat number at the Bernabéu. We confirm the category and the stand at booking; the section and the row are fixed when the club releases the seating. A seller who quotes a seat number in advance is promising something they do not yet know themselves.

How to choose a seat at the Bernabéu

• The football itself and the best view of the game: Premium, the lower tier of a side stand between the penalty areas.
• An evening with guests or a business meeting: VIP with a lounge, a private box for a group.
• You want to see the whole pitch and read the shape of the teams: category 1, the first amphitheatre of a side stand.
• Atmosphere and singing rather than analysis: category 2 in the Fondo Sur next to Grada Fans; everyone there stands and sings for the full 90 minutes.
• Your first match at the Bernabéu on a tighter budget: category 2 on the third amphitheatre, the whole stadium from above.

We arrange tickets for Real Madrid's matches at the Bernabéu in the 2026/27 season through the La Liga hub: the Madrid derby on 4 April 2027, El Clásico on 9 May 2027 and the rest of the season's big fixtures are there, and prices for tickets, VIP hospitality and the Box Azul are on the Real Madrid hospitality page. Name the match, the number of guests and what matters more, the view or the atmosphere, and your concierge confirms which sections are open for that date.