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Santiago Bernabeu Seating Plan

Welcome to our guide to the Santiago Bernabéu seating plan. One of the world’s most recognisable football stadiums, the Bernabéu has been home to Real Madrid CF since 1947.

Anyone setting foot in this magnificent La Liga ground will be dazzled by its scale and humbled by the sheer weight of history.

Holding 78,297 fans in 2024/25 the stadium’s capacity is expected to rise to 85,000 with the completion of an ambitious €1.17bn improvement project that began in 2019 and will run into 2025.

Among the many improvements are an extra tier to the Lateral Este (east stand), fully retractable roof, a futuristic metal exterior, a rooftop wraparound LED scoreboard, and a wealth of new retail, dining and hospitality space.

The Bernabéu layout is a massive unbroken bowl on five tiers. We’ll explain the stands and tiers, and explore the best places to sit in our detailed guide to this extraordinary stadium.

What are the Tiers at the Santiago Bernabéu?

Structurally, there are five tiers at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, the Real Madrid seating chart features seven levels, as the lowest tier (Grada) is configured in three parts named Lower Tier, Upper Tier and Grandstand. Let’s look at the various tiers in the Santiago Bernabéu seating plan now:

Lower Tier (Grada Baja): Pitchside, offering close proximity to the action.
Upper Tier (Grada Alta): Slightly elevated seats with excellent sightlines.
Grandstand (Tribuna): Premium seating on the longsides.
First Amphitheatre (Primer Anfiteatro): Offers prime, TV-style views.
Second Amphitheatre (Segundo Anfiteatro): Panoramic sightlines at high elevation.
Third Amphitheatre (Tercer Anfiteatro): Higher elevation with sweeping views.
Fourth Amphitheatre (Cuarto Anfiteatro): Highest level, with steep angles to the pitch.

What Are the Names of the Stands at the Bernabéu?

The names of the four stands at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are Lateral Este, Fondo Sur, Lateral Oeste, and Fondo Norte. They all match the cardinal directions East (Este), South (Sur), West (Oeste) and North (Norte).

At each of the invisible dividing points between the stands is a massive tower (Torre), labelled A, B, C, and D, and giving access to the tiers above street level. These towers are now hidden behind the stadium’s new metallic facade.

So let’s take a closer look at the stands in the Santiago Bernabéu seating plan:

Lateral Este at the Santiago Bernabéu

Fronting Calle de Padre Damián on the east side of the ground, the main stand at Real Madrid is home to many of the stadium’s key facilities. For example, this is where the dugouts, changing rooms, press box and camera positions are located.

Most of these features were previously set opposite in Lateral Oeste, the west stand, but switched sides in a renovation project between 2001 and 2006.

Directly outside, facing the street is the main Real Madrid official store. Meanwhile, the Grandstand level is home to the Presidential Box known in Spanish as the Palco de Honor, where Florentino Pérez and other club dignitaries sit.

Just below, at pitchside in the Lower Tier (Grada Baja) and Upper Tier (Grada Alta) are the VIP Boxes. As we’ll show a little later, this stand contains most of the Santiago Bernabéu’s hospitality, and is the place to be for a VIP experience at Real Madrid.

Lateral Este has also been the focus of many of the improvements taking place at the Bernabéu since 2019.

Where this used to be the lowest of the four stands it has now been extended with an uppermost tier, adding an additional 3,000 seats to the stadium capacity.

Fondo Sur at the Santiago Bernabéu

One of the side-effects of being the biggest football club in the world is hosting a lot of global fans visiting the stadium for one-off matches. While impressive, this melting pot isn’t always great for the atmosphere.

Real Madrid’s antidote is the Grada Fans, a large singing section here in the southern shortside section. There are around 2,000 hardcore Los Blancos fans concentrated in this area, comprising the Lower Tier and Upper Tier directly behind the goal.

Occupying sections 115 to 119, the Grada Fans are all dressed in white, aged between 14 and 45 and encouraged to create a positive and inclusive environment, without any of the extreme politics that often come with ultras groups.

Historically, this part of the stadium has always had the most boisterous support, and was previously home to the notorious Ultras Sur. Now there’s a gentler feel to the Fondo Sur stand, but with no less noise and with spectacular tifo displays from time to time.

So if you want a powerful atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabéu, try to get close to these sections, even if it may not be possible to get a seat among the Grada Fans.

Lateral Oeste at the Santiago Bernabéu

Lateral Oeste at the Santiago Bernabéu offers some of the best pitch views and remains a hub for Real Madrid's rich history. Located along Paseo de la Castellana, it houses the club’s upgraded museum and trophy room.

This stand, the first to reach the stadium’s current height in the 1990s, added the Third and Fourth Amphitheatre during an expansion from 1992-94.

While most hospitality seats are in the opposite stand, Lateral Oeste boasts perfect sightlines, particularly from the Grandstand, First Amphitheatre, and Second Amphitheatre.

One highlight is the SkyBar, a premium restaurant that transforms into a superbox with 200 seats on matchdays.

Additionally, the west stand faces a newly pedestrianized plaza and an extra Real Madrid store, enhancing the matchday experience. A big advantage here is that late afternoon sun won’t interfere with your view.

Fondo Norte at the Santiago Bernabéu

Fondo Norte at the north end of the stadium is where the away fans sit at the Santiago Bernabéu. Visiting supporters are posted high in the 600 section, which is the Fourth Amphitheatre at the very top of the stand.

The away fans bring some extra energy into the ground, especially for Champions League matches when there are as many as 4,000 supporters.

The remainder of the Fondo Norte stand is reserved for Real Madrid supporters. This is part of the Santiago Bernabéu seating plan to check out if you want some noise. For major clashes it may even be hard to hear the away fans above.

One of the big changes to the exterior of the ground is that Calle de Rafael Salgado, immediately outside the north stand, has now been pedestrianised.

What Is the Best Place to Sit at the Santiago Bernabéu?

This is a question with several answers, and we’ll give you a few options depending on what you want from your Real Madrid tickets:

Fondo Sur: For the Best Atmosphere at Real Madrid Matches

Ever since the 1950s the noisiest part of Real Madrid’s stadium has been the south stand, or Fondo Sur. This is especially true today with the Grada Fans RMCF.

Established in 2014, this group lifts the atmosphere in a more wholesome way than some of the supporter groups that came before. Try to get a seat in the 300 section (First Amphitheatre) directly above these fans for a blend of crowd noise and elevated sightlines of the pitch.

Lateral Oeste: For the Best Views at the Santiago Bernabéu

If you want sensational views without sacrificing atmosphere, you should head to the Lateral Oeste on the west side of the Bernabéu.

We recommend 207 to 208, 307 to 308 or 407 to 408 for what may be the best seats in the house, without VIP status.

Fondo Sur: For Quick Transport Links in Madrid

If you need to make a quick getaway from the stadium, we suggest a seat near Torre B in the south-east side of the Santiago Bernabéu. This is the part of the ground closest to the Santiago Bernabeu Metro station, if you need to beat the rush back to the centre of Madrid.

Lateral Este: For the Premium Real Madrid Experience

The majority of the hospitality seats at the Bernabéu are located in the East Stand (Lateral Este). There are premium sections in all parts of the stand:

Silver Club: Located in the First and Second Amphitheatres, this option provides panoramic views of the stadium and pitch. Guests enjoy hostess services, gourmet catering, and access to a hospitality lounge at the nearby NH Collection Eurobuilding.
Pitchside Club: In the Grada sections, this club offers spectators seating very close to the pitch, providing an immersive experience. The hospitality service includes access to lounges near the seating area, beginning 90 minutes before the match
General Admission with Hospitality: In the Third Amphitheatre, some general admission seats also come with hospitality services, offering a perfect view of the action with access to off-site hospitality lounges

Accessibility at Santiago Bernabéu

The information provided below is correct up to 2024/25. However, these totals will change as the renovation work at Real Madrid’s stadium progresses. In this time, we have seen progress for wheelchair platforms located at the back of the Grandstand:

As of 2023/24 there were 45 wheelchair spaces available in the Santiago Bernabéu seating plan, with an additional 4 spaces provided for away supporters
Newly installed accessible entrances and toilets are provided in all stands
In the construction plans Real Madrid announced they were adding stadium seating for more than 1,000 fans with reduced mobility
A survey conducted in 2023 revealed that there were no sensory suites at the Santiago Bernabéu
Audio descriptive commentary was also not available as of the 2023/24 season

Santiago Bernabéu Seating Plan Recap: Find Your Perfect Seat

To finish up, the Santiago Bernabéu seating plan offers everything from the rip-roaring atmosphere in the Fondo Sur to the plush experiences in the Lateral Este.

Whether you're seeking the best views, the most passionate fans, or a luxurious matchday experience, there’s a spot for everyone at this historic stadium.

With its astonishing renovations enhancing both capacity and fan comfort, there’s never been a better time to secure your Real Madrid tickets.

Ready to experience the all-new Santiago Bernabéu for yourself? Don’t miss out: Compare Real Madrid ticket prices and book your seats now with Ticket Compare!

The local team playing at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid is Real Madrid.