Real Madrid shelves concerts over noise concerns

Spanish football club Real Madrid is rescheduling or cancelling all upcoming shows at its Santiago Bernabeu stadium to comply with the city's noise regulations, the club said late on Friday.

The venue began hosting concerts and other events again earlier this year -- with artists including Taylor Swift and Karol G performing -- after a major revamp which includes a roof and retractable pitch to allow it to be used as a year-round entertainment hub.

But local residents have complained that noise levels violate Madrid city rules.

They argue the stadium is not properly soundproofed and its new, powerful loudspeakers do not comply with noise regulations.

"Real Madrid has decided to provisionally reschedule the programme of events and concerts at the Santiago Bernabeu," the club said in a statement.

"This decision is part of a series of measures the club has been taking to ensure strict compliance with current municipal regulations during concerts," it added.

The club said event organisers had faced a "challenge" to comply with the regulations, despite soundproofing and other noise-abatement measures the venue had put in place.

Spanish artists Dellafuente and Aitana had been due to perform there in November and December, while Lola Indigo was due there in March 2025.

The club said new dates for these events would be announced soon.

A concert scheduled for October 12 featuring several of the biggest names in K-pop, including BOYNEXTDOOR and ENHYPEN, has been "cancelled outright".

Spanish public television TVE said some 240,000 people had bought tickets for the concerts in question.

The Real Madrid statement did not give any details about potential ticket refunds.