‘Ugly’ soccer-style $2.2bn NFL stadium splits opinion with first glimpse at near-complete interior
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will soon be charging into a new era.
Later this year, the AFC East team will move into new Highmark Stadium.
Their state-of-the-art, $2.2 billion facility that shuns a big NFL trend has been built in the shadow of their former home, and will be ready for the 2026 home opener.
Construction work for Highmark Stadium, which has been designed by the global architecture firm Populous and built with the help of a former player, began back in June 2023.
Three years on, and it remains on schedule to open in the coming months.
Fans get first look inside new $2.1bn NFL stadium
Bills Mafia has watched closely as the new venue has taken shape, just a stone’s throw away from Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the team has played since 1973.
Many fans took pictures outside the under-construction building, which offered an impressive backdrop to countless tailgate parties across the 2025 season, before they took their seats in the old stadium.
But until recently, few had seen inside the shiny new Highmark.
That all changed last week, when footage shared by a staff photographer at The Buffalo News went viral.
Harry Scull Jr posted a short video on social media of the walk from the concourse to the seating bowl, which revealed the interior is now almost complete.
It appears that some turf has already been laid, and the goalposts are standing in position. The real beauty, though, comes from the stands themselves.
New Bills stadium splits fan opinion
More than 60,000 football-mad fans will pile into blue and red seats when the 2026 season kicks off, and the empty interior dripped in Bills colors certainly catches the eye.
Scull’s video has been viewed more than three million times in recent days, but has split fan opinion ahead of Highmark’s official opening.
“This stadium isn’t just new, it’s a masterpiece! Ready for a season full of excitement,” one fan wrote, responding to the footage.
“Next-level. NFL stadiums are officially stepping into the future,” another responded.
“One of the nicest stadiums we have ever seen,” a third claimed.
Others, though, will need a bit more convincing.
“Literally not special in any way,” one suggested of the stadium, which has been compared to European soccer grounds.
“There’s nothing interesting about this stadium… it could be for any team,” another claimed.
“Those seats are so f***ing ugly,” a third wrote.
While Highmark is nearly complete, building a new home hasn’t been all plain sailing for the Bills.
Last December the stadium caught fire during the team’s road game against the New England Patriots.
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Work was also briefly halted last month, when an investigation into graffiti inside the stadium grounds was launched.
A six-figure reward was offered for information about the vandalism, believed to be an inside job, which caused around $150,000 of damage to four suites.
What games will the Bills play at home in 2026 and when will the old stadium be demolished?
Despite some setbacks, the new stadium will be ready for the upcoming NFL season.
Buffalo will host eight opponents in 2026: The Patriots, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens.
But as the Bills settle into their new home, their old one will soon be knocked down.
Demolition for the 53-year-old stadium is set for next spring, with a target of March 2027, in 12 month’s time.
Should they wish, the Bills would have the ability to redevelop the Orchard Park site, which is a 20-minute drive south of downtown Buffalo.
While it appears to be an appealing mixed-use development prospect, there are no solid plans in place as of yet.
Full focus, of course, is on completing the new Highmark Stadium in the coming weeks and months.
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