The Buffalo Bills have released new images of their ongoing new stadium project that is expected to open in about a year and a half.
The facility, currently billed as New Highmark Stadium, will open in July 2026 and is expected to cost approximately $2.1 billion.
On Wednesday, the Bills released stunning new renderings of the project, showing fans what their new home will look like.
The photos also included an update to the amenities and stadium features, making fans more willing than ever to pay deposits for season tickets.
The team described the audio and visual experience of the new project as ‘night and day compared to the current stadium’, with two state-of-the-art video boards and a new acoustic system that allows ‘sound to be focused on specific areas of the stadium’. ‘.
By design, the stadium’s bowl layout is “much closer to the field than current (and many other) stadiums” around the NFL.
The Buffalo Bills have released new images of their ongoing stadium project
The venue – which will retain the name Highmark Stadium – is expected to cost approximately $2.1 billion
The team highlighted the stadium’s concourses, audio/visual setup and seating
The team says the building was designed to ensure “accessibility and sight lines are among the best in the NFL” and confirmed it would be fully ADA compliant.
Of course, Buffalo is known for its weather, especially the winters. The team says each hall will have “radiant heat at assembly points.”
In terms of smartphone accessibility, the team plans to provide enhanced 5G ultra-wide band coverage in the stadium, tailgate lots and plazas.
Another notable feature is the sightlines from the concourses, with the team saying that ‘each concourse has a 360 degree view directly into the bowl, keeping fans connected to the game even if they have to leave their seats to experience the frictionless dining and drink markets to visit. improved team stores, or use the restroom.”
The team has already begun the process of distributing season tickets to fans, with club level seating already completely sold out. The team also says the suites will have “extremely limited availability.”
Note that the capacity of the new stadium will be 62,000 – much smaller than the current venue’s capacity of 71,000.
The Bills’ current stadium in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park opened in 1973 and is the fourth-oldest venue in the NFL behind Chicago’s Soldier Field (1924), Green Bay’s Lambeau Field (1957) and Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium (1972).
Since its opening 51 years ago, the current stadium – historically known as Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium and New Era Field – has undergone two major renovations in 1998 and 2013.
A photo showing the progress of the new construction of the stadium from December 2023
Rich Stadium in 1973 (L) and what was then called New Era Field in 2019 (R)
After considering locations in the city of Buffalo itself and other surrounding suburbs, the Bills confirmed they would stay in Orchard Park and build the new stadium across the street from the current location.
The stadium is being built by architectural firm Populous, which has built several NFL stadiums in the past, including Gillette Stadium, M&T Bank Stadium and NRG Stadium. They have also designed several football venues such as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Emirates Stadium and the new Wembley Stadium.
Buffalo will be in the playoffs for the sixth straight season as the Bills will be the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
They host the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round on Sunday afternoon.