Madrid City Council slapped AC/DC with an €80,800.80 fine, around 93,589 USD, after their July 16, 2025 show at Metropolitano stadium, according to a report from the Euro Weekly News. Municipal Police clocked sound at five to ten decibels over what authorities allowed during night hours. This penalty stands as the steepest one handed down for any 2025 event at the venue.
Officials labeled the violation “very serious” under environmental noise laws. The regulations state that when noise exceeds seven decibels at night — or ten decibels during daytime and evening — it can be treated as a very serious infraction, according to the report.
AC/DC wasn’t alone. Imagine Dragons got hit with a fine when inspectors caught noise four decibels too high during their June 28, 2025 performance. The International Madcup Youth Football Tournament, which took place June 23, 2025, paid fines after measurements showed a four-decibel spike in daytime hours, Euro Weekly News adds.
Municipal Police ran 29 noise checks at the stadium across 2025. Fourteen came back clean. Four showed violations. The rest? Invalid because of procedural mistakes that made the results unusable in official proceedings.
These findings have cranked up tension between people who live near the stadium and those who run events there. Neighborhood groups say the venue creates constant chaos tied to big concerts and sports matches. They’ve griped about clogged streets, nowhere to park, trash piling up, and getting boxed in when events happen.
Residents have also pointed fingers at the stadium’s construction, saying gaps in the design let sound spill straight into nearby homes. This has become a hot topic lately, particularly as major acts — Bad Bunny among them — have performed at the site.
Madrid City Council has rolled out steps meant to dial down the noise. Authorities put up 408 sound-absorbing panels built to stop sound from escaping past the stadium walls. The council also set rules on where sound systems can point during concerts and watches noise on building fronts near the venue.
Shows must wrap by midnight, per the rules. But if they’re on Fridays, Saturdays, or before public holidays, they can run until 12:30 a.m.
Spain’s Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, has dropped his own probe. The Madrid Provincial Prosecutor’s Office is now looking into things after opening environmental proceedings on March 9, Euro Weekly News adds.
The Las Musas-Las Rosas Neighborhood Association insists the stadium “lacks a specific license for non-sporting events” and believes the Prosecutor’s Office will create rules that let big shows happen while protecting residents’ right to sleep.
Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.