Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium
The site of the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games
Nobody could have predicted that more than 60 years after its construction this stadium would host Barcelona’s most important sporting event. Originally built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, it was fully renovated to become Montjuïc Olympic Stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics.
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Why visit the Olympic Stadium?
The Olympic Stadium is a historic site in Barcelona. On 25 July 1992, Barcelona greeted the world from its arena with a sonorous ‘Hola’ that was forever engraved in the memory of all those who watched the opening ceremony of the XXV Olympiad.
But the history of the stadium dates back to 1929, when the architect Pere Domènech i Roura built this amphitheatre for the Barcelona International Exposition. Subsequently, the facility fell into disuse until Barcelona was selected to host the Olympic Games and the stadium was fully remodelled by the team of architects formed by Gregotti, Correa, Milà, Margarit and Buxadé.
The stadium was fully renovated and only the facade and the two sculptures of horsemen by Pablo Gargallo were conserved. Everything was removed from its interior, the level of the arena was lowered and new stands with a capacity for 56,000 spectators were erected. This new stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and all the athletics events of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
From 1997 to 2009 it was the home ground of RDC Espanyol football club. In 2001 the stadium was renamed the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in homage to the President of the Government of Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War.
In 2010 it was the venue of the 20th European Athletics Championships, for which it was remodelled again and its seating capacity was increased to 60,000 spectators. Now it is a venue for major concerts and top-flight sports events.
How do you get to the Olympic Stadium?
On the Red Route of Barcelona Bus Turístic hop off at the Anella Olímpica stop, from where you can easily access the stadium.
For the most curious of you
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Did you know? The stone extracted to lower the level of the stadium was of such good quality that it was used in the construction of the Sagrada Família.
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Local’s tip: If you take a walk around the exterior of the stadium, you will see that it still conserves the cauldron used to light the Olympic flame.
- A must: To remember the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
