Buffalo Bills to Debut New Highmark Stadium in Week 2 vs Lions on Sept 17

Highmark Stadium opens with Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions

The Buffalo Bills will open their new Highmark Stadium on Sept 17, 2026, hosting the Detroit Lions in a Week 2 Thursday night game on Amazon Prime. The Week 2 primetime clash on Amazon Prime will be the first game at Buffalo’s new stadium and the teams’ third meeting in five years.

Buffalo’s new stadium opens in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season, 53 years after the original Highmark Stadium opened...

The Buffalo Bills will host their first game at the new Highmark Stadium in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season, welcoming the Detroit Lions on September 17.

The Thursday night matchup will air live on Amazon Prime and marks the third meeting between the two teams in the last five years. 

Buffalo won the most recent encounter in 2024, a 48-42 shootout. The Bills ended 2025 at 12-5, while Detroit finished 9-8 and missed the postseason.

Every team’s full 2026 schedule will be released on May 14.

Construction on the new Highmark Stadium began in June 2023.

The original Highmark Stadium operated for 53 years, ranking as the NFL’s fourth-oldest venue. Only Chicago’s Soldier Field, opened in 1924, Green Bay’s Lambeau Field from 1957, and Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium from 1972 had been around longer.

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 Bills’ history at the old stadium bookended with wins over the New York Jets. Buffalo beat the Jets 9-7 in 1973 when the ground opened, and closed it out 53 years later with a 35-8 victory against the same opponent in its final game. 

The venue went through several name changes during its lifetime: Rich Stadium from 1973-1997, Ralph Wilson Stadium from 1998-2015, commonly known as ‘The Ralph’, New Era Field from 2016-2019, Bills Stadium in 2020, and Highmark Stadium from 2021-2025.