A noisy battle in the center of Bernabe

Last year, tens of thousands of “Swifties” – Taylor Swift fans – pressed Madrid to watch the “St. Berna” concerts of the Spanish capital, where the final of the champions in Europe lived less than 24 hours, June 1.

Mega-contest was one of the dozens of high-profile concerts staged at a recently repaired stadium in 2024 to increase the club’s profits.

But the project was short -lived. In September, all concerts were canceled after the residents living in the field of music filed a legal complaint.

Now, nine months later, Spanish Pop -Single Aitana is the last artist who switched the places from Berna to Metropolitano Stadium – Athletics Madrid’s home – when the trial sounds.

“He is really the same in every concert,” says Enrique Martinez de Azagra, president of the neighbors’ association. He and other locals say the sound of concerts such as Taylor Swift has become too much.

“It is impossible to survive such a noise, and it affects our health, it affects migraines, insomnia and heart attacks, and this is a criminal offense in our laws,” Enrique adds.

In Madrid, the noise level measured by neighbors regularly exceeded 90 decibels during concerts.

Ian Marnans from the European Environmental Agency says that in Europe, any level of 55 decibels and above are considered harmful, and further impact can lead to increased blood pressure and cardiovascular disease such as strokes. There is also connections between noise and diabetes.

Enrique says there is a significant difference between concert noise compared to football matches. He and most of his neighbors live in the area for decades. Many of them are a lifetime supporters of Real Madrid and are in commissions representing the club’s interests.

“Football is a sport that lasts two hours, more than less. The noise is normal. Only if there is a target, the passion goes,” says Enrique. The problem he sees with the concerts is that they constantly relate to high noise level over a long period of hours.

To reduce their effects on these high noise levels, Enrique and his neighbors sent to Real Madrid.

Sports journalist Felip Maria Richie believes that they have a strong business.

“Bernaei is in the heart of Madrid. The neighbors who live there have good positions and know the right people,” Felip says. “This battle for concerts can be quite long, but at the moment Real is losing this battle.”

Neighbors say the city government is deciding to resolve the issue as it benefits from tourism and money that brings concerts. According to local media reports, tourists who come to Taylor Swift concerts spent about 25 million euros (£ 21 million; $ 28 million).

Philip says the reconstruction of 1.1 billion pounds to make a multi -purpose stadium, was to provide a huge financial incentive in Real Madrid.

They also signed a contract with an American company that sold commercial rights to the stadium.

“They spent a lot of money to develop a new system for a step to take it away when they have concerts,” Philip says. “Now all this new super -the system is completely useless, at the moment all this money is gone.”

Ed Shyran, imagine that the Dragons and OS/DC is one of the acts playing at the Atlatika stadium.

Madrid City Council, Mayor and Real Madrid did not respond to the BBC comment requests.

Real Madrid has previously stated that he was trying to justify the stadium. According to local reports, the club hired a specialized company, and Windows were installed in the Skywalk area.

When I put my neighbors that Real Madrid was trying to reinforce the stadium, they smiled. Enrique works as an engineer and believes that “it is quite impossible to sound at the stadium”.

While Bernabeu’s roof may close, the stadium is never closed, because there is an open gap between the roof and the facade at the stadium.

Neighbors say they do not mind all concerts.

“We had concerts in the past, but once a year,” says Pablo Bashwitz, a lawyer and one of the neighbors who agitated for the changes.

He recalls concerts with musical legends such as Frank Sinatra and Julio Iglesiaz in Bernabez, but says there are too much about 20 concerts a year.

From the roof terrace one of the neighbors’ apartments, the proximity to the stadium just sees.

They point to the healthcare center, which is said to be struggling to sometimes measure patients’ blood pressure because sound waves from concerts violate readings in their machines.

Pablo says that concerts are not the only problem – there are rehearsals and sound checks during the day that violate the local community, including schools.

Luis Jordano de Posas lives directly from the stadium, and some noise measurements were made outside and inside his apartment.

On his terrace overlooking Bernabe, he explains how the recently added metal plates in the appearance of the stadium enhanced the sound and shows me recorded videos of “unbearable” noise.

In Madrid, the facades of the houses around the stadium were lined with banners. Sent from windows, balconies and terraces, neighbors put up their posters of protest, reading “Consiertos No” (without concerts) and “ruído no” (without noise).

As long as the case is in court, the music stopped.