Bills to play first regular-season game in new stadium in Week 2

The Buffalo Bills will play their first regular-season game at their new dwelling, the new Highmark Stadium, in Week 2 in opposition to the Detroit Lionsit was introduced Monday.

The game will mark the season opener for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” package deal of video games.

The Bills will open their greater than $2.1 billion stadium on a nationwide stage, fulfilling the crew’s need for a primetime game to kick off the new venue.

Lights. Camera. (TNF)Action. 🤩

📺 NFL Schedule Release 5/14 at 8pm ET on@nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/R99KYAjjmX

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) May 11, 2026

The new stadium is open air however supplies vital protection from the weather with a roof cover masking 64% of followers. The crew made it a precedence to hold followers as shut to the sphere as potential and has moved the first row on one of many sidelines 54 toes nearer to the sphere than the previous stadium. Fans will even be welcomed to the stadium with a new space outdoors the stadium that features three bison statues that can be lit up for the primetime opener.

The strategy of demolition to the previous stadium is already underway, whereas the ending touches are nonetheless being placed on the new one to be open for preliminary occasions this summer season, such because the crew’s coaching camp Blue & Red follow. A change in the stadium is the sphere — the Bills are switching from turf to grass (which will also be heated).

The Bills had performed their dwelling video games at their former dwelling since 1973. That stadium was additionally named Highmark Stadium because the 2021 season.

The full NFL schedule can be launched Thursday night time at 8 pm ET. A two-hour primetime particular will air on ESPN and NFL Network.

ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this report.