Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys ( , formerly known as the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc or Barcelona Olympic Stadium ) is a stadium in Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain . Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city ( and Barcelona ' s bid for the 1936 Summer Olympics , which were awarded to Berlin ) , it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics . The stadium has a capacity of 55 , 926 ( 67 , 007 during the 1992 Olympics ) , and is located in the Anella Olímpica , in Montjuïc , a large hill to the southwest of the city which overlooks the harbour . In 2001 the stadium was renamed after the former president of the Generalitat de Catalunya Lluís Companys i Jover , who was executed at the nearby Montjuïc Castle in 1940 by the Franco regime . History . The stadium , designed by architect Pere Domènech i Roura for the 1929 Expo , was meant to host the People ' s Olympiad in 1936 , a protest event against the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin , but the event had to be cancelled due the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War . In the fifties , the stadium was the centerpiece of the 1955 Mediterranean Games , and in 1957 it hosted the only national football cup final between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol , the two local clubs . In the seventies the stadium was disused , and the stands deteriorated . When the Spanish Grand Prix and other races were held at the Montjuïc racing circuit , the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams . Due to safety concerns , the 1975 F1 race was nearly boycotted by drivers . Due to the award of the 1992 Summer Olympics to Barcelona , the stadium was renovated with the involvement of Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti . The stadium was gutted , preserving only the original facades , and new grandstands were built . In 1989 the venue was reinaugurated for the World Cup in Athletics , and three years later it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics competitions of the Olympic Games . The stadium served as the home of football club RCD Espanyol from 1997 until 2009 . The Estadi Olímpic made its final La Liga appearance during the 2008 - 2009 season , as Espanyol moved to the newly constructed Estadi Cornellà - El Prat . It also served as the home of the Barcelona Dragons American Football team until 2003 . Because the size of the playing surface was slightly shorter than the regulation American Football length , the stadium only had 7 - yard end zones , three yards shorter than regulation NFL size . The stadium also played host to the NFL ' s American Bowl in 1993 and in 1994 . The San Francisco 49ers played the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 1 , 1993 . The second game was played on July 31 , 1994 between the Los Angeles Raiders and the Denver Broncos . The stadium has since 1990 hosted the Míting Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona an annual track and field meeting . In 2010 , the stadium hosted the 20th European Athletics Championships . Musical events . The stadium has hosted concerts by many famous artists , including AC / DC , Bon Jovi , David Bowie , Coldplay , Deftones , Fiction Plane , Guns ' N Roses , Michael Jackson , Jean Michel Jarre , Limp Bizkit , Linkin Park , Madonna , Shakira , Metallica , Mudvayne , Pink Floyd , The Police , Prince & The New Power Generation , RBD , The Rolling Stones , Bruce Springsteen , Mavis Staples , Sting , Tina Turner , U2 and Van Halen , among others .