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The
readings need to be evaluated to see if they exceeded permitted
levels, city hall spokesperson Inmaculada Sanz said in a press
conference on Thursday. She said the authorities had received 25
complaints after Wednesday's gig.
She said city hall was already preparing fines for promoters of
previous concerts that have been judged to have exceeded noise
limits.
Real Madrid declined to comment. Madrid's municipal police
referred requests for comment to city hall. Sanz did not give
the decibel reading at the press conference.
Swift's promoter for her Madrid concerts Lastur Bookin SL did
not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Her concert, attended by tens of thousands of "Swifties", marked
the first performance by a global megastar at the stadium that
has been adapted to meet President Florentino Perez's vision to
expand the club's income beyond football so Real Madrid can
compete financially with English clubs in the lucrative Premier
League.
The 900 million-euro ($978-million) revamp included a roof and
new state-of-the-art retractable pitch allowing the use of the
venue for events, making it "an epicenter of the entertainment
world", Perez said in November.
But the plan is running up against local anger at the noise
levels, with residents saying they will seek legal recourse to
block future events.
"We have no choice but to take legal action," said Enrique
Martinez de Azagra, president of the Association of People
Affected by the Bernabeu.
During Wednesday's concert, experts contracted by the
association took their own decibel counts which can be used as
evidence in a case. The experts recorded readings of 80
decibels, far above the 53 permitted by city authorities for a
concert venue, Martinez de Azagra said.
Swift's concerts on Wednesday and Thursday will help swell Real
Madrid's coffers as it pays off 1.2 billion euros of outstanding
loans and structured deals.
A club source told Reuters in 2021 the refurbishment would boost
annual stadium revenues to 400 million euros from 150 million.
($1 = 0.9205 euros)
(Additional reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Alison
Williams)
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