02.02.2026 22:11
source: StadiumDB.com ; author: Jakub Ducki
Osasuna has been working for some time on changes that are set to affect the operation of El Sadar. The club from Pamplona has gone through a complex process of technical and administrative consultations, awaiting a decision that could open a new chapter in the stadium’s history.
Year of preparations and cooperation with services
The Pamplona-based club has been working on expansion plans for over a year. During this time, Osasuna representatives maintained intensive technical contact with emergency services, prevention units, and civil protection agencies. The goal of these activities was to prepare a comprehensive application to amend the facility’s operating license.
On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in the afternoon, the organization officially submitted the documentation to the regional administration. This marks another attempt to increase the venue’s capacity following previous setbacks in this regard.
Details of the El Sadar expansion project
The proposal, developed by the firm Ingeniería Valladares, focuses on the internal reorganization of El Sadar. Key changes include the reconstruction of evacuation corridors and a new configuration of spectator seating. As a result, the stadium’s capacity will be 24,754 after the modernization.
According to the computer simulation attached to the documentation, the evacuation of all persons from the stadium would take approximately 826 seconds, or just under 14 minutes. Compared to the original license, which specified an evacuation time of 802 seconds, the new scenario anticipates an increase of 24 seconds.
© Grzegorz Kaliciak | The concept focuses on the internal reorganisation of Osasuna’s stadium.
The technical report contains a detailed description of evacuation procedures broken down by zones, routes, and exits. The document also accounts for advanced simulations of crowd flow behavior in various situations.
Safety verification by an independent body
The evacuation model has been approved by the external control firm Cepretec, which performed a similar role for the original stadium project. According to this verification, the facility ensures the evacuation of all users to a safe external space in a time equivalent to that specified in the original license.
© Grzegorz Kaliciak | El Sadar won the Stadium of the Year 2021 competition organized by StadiumDB.com.
Experts confirmed that the proposed capacity increase does not compromise safety conditions during evacuation. Based on the presented analysis, Osasuna argues that the project meets the basic fire safety requirements set out in Article 5 of the Royal Decree 314/2006.
In the submitted application, the club requests the issuance of the necessary administrative permits. The Government of Navarre must now analyze the submitted documentation and issue an opinion on the proposed seat increase. No timeline for the decision has been specified yet. A positive outcome would allow Osasuna to host more fans during home matches, which is particularly significant given the record attendance figures recorded recently.