Why are Barcelona not playing at the Nou Camp this season, and where will they be playing their home matches ahead of the 2023-24 campaign?

The 2023-24 LaLiga season is around the corner, but Barcelona will not be playing their home games at the Nou Camp this season.

Barcelona won their 27th LaLiga title and first for four years after a 4-2 win at city rivals Espanyol back in May.

Xavi's side will begin their LaLiga season with an away clash against Getafe on Sunday, August 13.

Their first home game will take place a week later, but for the first time since 1957, the Spanish giants will not be at the Nou Camp.

Mail Sport breaks down why Barcelona will not be playing at the Nou Camp this season.

Why are Barcelona not playing at the Nou Camp?

Barcelona confirmed they will leave their iconic Nou Camp stadium for a season while it undergoes a £1.3billion renovation project.

The renovation will include a roof being added and the stadium's name being changed to the 'Spotify Nou Camp'.

Along with a roof being added, the main renovation is that the stadium's capacity will increase from 99,000 to 105,000, even with the larger seats.

The name change comes after the cash-strapped club signed a mega £237million sponsorship deal with the music streaming giants, helping with their previous financial issues.

Barcelona will also create more facilities for supporters, including new VIP areas, while the seats inside the stadium will also be bigger after the plans are completed.

They had originally hoped to reopen the stadium in time for their 125th anniversary in 2024, but their return is now expected to come in the 2025-26 season.

It is set to earn the club an extra £25million a year when completed.

Where will they play this season?

Barcelona confirmed last year that they will play their home games this season at the Olympic Stadium.

It hosted the 1992 Summer Olympic Games and is a 20 minute drive from the Nou Camp.

The Nou Camp has been relatively untouched since it was built 1957, so the work will see the biggest renovation of the ground in its history. It's hoped it will help the club 'achieve their collective dream', according to president Joan Laporta.

The Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, commonly known as the Olympic Stadium, was first built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition.

It has a capacity of 54,367 and is the sixth largest stadium in the country.

Their first competitive game at the Olympic Stadium will be against Cadiz on Sunday, August 20.

What's been said on the move?

President Joan Laporta revealed his plans for the new season while work is being done at the Nou Camp.

'FC Barcelona will play at this stadium in the 23/24 season, while work is being done on the Espai Barca, for which the City Council recently granted the license. At Barca we are grateful to the city for helping us so much with the negotiations.

'FC Barcelona is committed to adapting the Olympic facilities and ensuring the comfort of our members and fans on match day. We will modernise various services and auxiliary spaces such as the press room, changing rooms and the indoor parking area. We estimate that the transfer will cost Barca 15-20 million euros (£13-17m).

'We are talking about the iconic venue of the Barcelona Olympics. We are talking about an international symbol of the city and we would like our season here, 2023-24, to make this stadium the epicentre of Barca supporters, shared with this great city that is Barcelona.

'All members and season ticket holders who want to come to the stadium will be able to do so by means of a democratic system on a rotation basis so that as many people as possible get the chance to be here at the Olympic Stadium.'