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Estadio de Balaídos lies in the heart of Vigo, standing as a symbol of passion and football heritage. Home to Celta de Vigo, this iconic stadium has witnessed almost a century of thrilling matches, memorable moments, and unforgettable victories. Since its opening, Balaídos has undergone numerous transformations, reflecting changes in architecture and the sport itself. From its humble beginnings to its modern-day status, Estadio de Balaídos is not just a venue for football; it is a cultural landmark that reflects the love for sports in the entire country.
In this article, we will show you some of the main aspects of Estadio Municipal de Balaidos and its legacy in football. Make sure to pay attention to each item below to become an expert on the matter.
Here’s everything you need to know about the stadium and its history:
Table of Contents
Location of Estadio de Balaidos
As we mentioned before, Estadio Abanca Balaídos is located in the privileged region of Vigo, Spain. The place is surrounded by natural beauty, creating one of the most unique landscapes in the entire country. This makes it one of the most popular venues for all kinds of events, whether in sports or entertainment.
The Stadium might not be located right in the city’s center, but it is easily accessible through multiple methods, including bus, taxi, car, and many other options. There’s always the perfect option for your needs and budget.
Once you reach the Spanish soccer arena, you are instantly surrounded by a pleasant atmosphere that mixes the emotions of a football match with the great spirit of this beautiful city. Whether you are going to a game, concert, or any kind of event, this venue will surely surprise you.
Year of Construction and Budget
The Stadium de Balaídos is one of the oldest sports venues in the country, with almost a century of tradition and history in the football world. The building process started in 1925, but the entire operation finished three years later, in 1928. Its technology and structure were already top-notch for its time, being one of Europe’s favorite facilities for hosting big competitions and events.
Since its first day, it has also been home to RC Celta de Vigo, the city’s main football team and a true symbol of the country’s passion for the sport. Celta Vigo still competes in La Liga and has conquered numerous trophies and championships throughout its century of existence.
The facility went through numerous renovations throughout the years, whether in the North Stand or any other part. These renovations were done to update the arena with new technologies in the sports universe or adapt it to special occasions and events the stadium hosted.
The arena currently has a main stand and two others (north and south stand) totaling almost 25 thousand seats. All of that is around a 105 x 70-meter field of natural grass to provide the best experience for both spectators and players using the venue.
Curiosities and Details About Stadium de Balaídos
Now, it’s time to delve into some of the curiosities that only real fans of this stadium and the football world know about. Make sure to pay attention to each one of them to become an expert on the matter. Whether you’re a football fan or plan on visiting the venue, we will cover aspects from transportation to details about the structure. Here’s what you need to know about this iconic facility:
Beyond Football
The most famous building of Avenida Balaidos goes far beyond just football matches. Even though football is the primary type of event hosted since the stadium opened, it has a long tradition of receiving artists and popular figures for entertainment.
Many iconic names already stepped on Estadio Municipal de Balaidos and done outstanding performances that will mark this venue’s history, including B.B. King, Gilberto Gil, Dire Straits, and many others. Since the last renovation, the “new stadium” has been one of the most popular venues in Spain. Artists from all genres and worldwide enjoy making presentations at Estadio de Balaios.
This venue’s only downside is its capacity compared to some of the other stadiums in the Spanish territory. The four stands and the field can accommodate a little over 30 thousand fans, which is a lot. This “reduced” capacity is done to respect safety standards decided by local authorities.
Meaning Behind Its Name
One thing that might confuse fans when reading about Balaidos Stadium for the first time is that it actually has different names. The most common one is Estadio Municipal de Balaidos, or simply Estadio de Balaidos. You can see it on almost every sign in Vigo and in promotional material used by the arena.
However, many people and places also refer to it as Estadio Abanca Balaidos. This name is used for sponsorship reasons and makes direct reference to one of the main sponsors responsible for maintaining the arena and generating part of the revenue.
Balaidos is a direct reference to the avenue where the building is located in Vigo. Avenida Balaidos is one of the main roads in the city and connects numerous vital points. If you visit the city of Vigo, you’ll surely pass through it at some point.
Structure and Rooms
Every reformation and renovation process expanded the stadium in one way or another, so what can you expect from the structure when arriving to watch a game or event? Here we will tell you:
Along with the well-preserved pitch and beautiful roof, Estadio Balaidos also presents four separate stands to watch the best teams in Europe. Each section has its own advantages and pain points. During one of the most recent renovations, the lower stands, also known as Río Bajo, were redone and are now one of the best spots in the stadium to enjoy the spectacles. The Rio stand is one of the most sought-after and slightly more expensive when purchasing tickets.
As for the internal parts of the stadium, there’s also a lot to discover, including restaurants and stores that you can enter and see everything they offer. Along with stores, there’s also the office room, press room, and many other parts of the stadium to discover.
According to some reviews from Tripadvisor LLC, the biggest problem with the arena’s structure is the very poor toilets available for visitors. It’s important to highlight that Tripadvisor performs checks on the comments and their content to attest if they’re true and ensure they’re not just subjective opinions. Make sure to keep this in mind if you plan on visiting the sports facility one day.
Renovations
As we said, Estadio Abanca Balaídos has undergone numerous renovation processes in its internal and external structure. These actions included new technology, a more modern design, and many other objectives.
It is essential to highlight that we’re talking about large-scale operations in the arena. The company responsible for it is not afraid to spend money improving the facility, and the operations included a complete rebuilding process of the stadium for update and redevelopment.
This is no surprise, considering the stadium is almost 100 years old and has already undergone a lot throughout its history. The first major renovation happened in 1982 for the FIFA World Cup. Almost all stands were renovated or upgraded to better accommodate the competition.
In 2003, the arena was also selected for the first time to host a game from the UEFA Champions League. However, it failed to meet some of the event organizers’ requirements, and because of that, it was not selected to host games from the competition in the following year.
The last and biggest renovation process happened in 2015 and took almost ten years to finish. It was a complete rebuilding of the stadium and happened in stages to ensure the arena would keep working and receiving matches throughout the operation. In 2023 the last part of the project was completed, preserving the design from previous years, like the one from Jenaro de la Fuente, but mixing it with more modern elements.
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