For over 50 years, the Buffalo Bills have played their home games at the hallowed grounds of Highmark Stadium. In that timeframe, the venue has been known by many names. But the one constant throughout has been the success the home team has enjoyed at the venue.
The 2025 season marks the final year that the Bills will play their home games at the iconic location. Next season onwards, the franchise plans to shift its home ground to a new state-of-the-art facility that is still under construction. Named the New Highmark Stadium in reverence to their old place, here’s everything you need to know about the new home of the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo Bills Shifting to New Highmark Stadium
Proposals for a new stadium for the Bills had been making the rounds since 2012. However, no deal had come to fruition for nearly a decade. It wasn’t until the organization became hell-bent on making a move that this deal came to be.
Eventually, the request was submitted to the New York State for the construction of a new venue in Orchard Park, across the street from the current stadium. Simultaneously, the Pegulas threatened to shift to Austin, Texas, if a deal wasn’t finalized.
While the eventual deal took time to come to fruition, the parties reached an agreement with the venue costing $1.7 billion. From that cost, a whopping 50% would be owed by the New York taxpayers, giving New York State ownership of the stadium.
The Buffalo Bills’ new $2 billion stadium is looking fantastic 🔥👀 pic.twitter.com/qiWPosYtFP
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 9, 2025
Additionally, $600 million would be paid by the State itself, with the final quarter billion coming from Erie County. The stadium’s construction is historic, marking the largest contribution from taxpayers to an NFL facility.
Once the deal was closed, the groundbreaking occurred in June 2023, with construction beginning in short order. During the groundbreaking ceremony on June 5, 2023, the Bills announced an extension with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for stadium naming rights.
As a result, the new stadium would also be called Highmark Stadium upon its completion, with the “New” moniker used in the interim to distinguish it from their current home. The stadium is being built to house a capacity crowd of 62,000 with a grass field.
“I know how much the Bills mean to this community. It’s part of the spirit, it’s part of the identity. I really believe this is going to secure the franchise here for decades,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had said about the new facility.
Scheduled to open on July 1, 2026, it will be the site for home game for the Bills starting next season. After its opening, the current Highmark Stadium is planned to be demolished.
