The new Highmark Stadium is smaller, steeper, warmer and far more expensive than the building it replaced across the street. It seats 60,108, the fewest in the NFL, compared with 71,608 in the old stadium; it puts a canopy over roughly two thirds of the seats where the old one had none; it has heated turf and a snow melt system where the old one relied on shovels and volunteers; and it cost about $2.2 billion against the $22 million the original was built for in 1973. Thursday night’s Lions game is the first regular season game in the new building.
Side by Side
| New Highmark Stadium | Old Highmark Stadium | |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | 2026 (ribbon cutting June 23; first regular season game Sept. 17 vs. Detroit) | 1973 as Rich Stadium |
| Capacity | 60,108, smallest in the NFL | 71,608 at closing (80,000 plus when it opened) |
| Cost | About $2.1 to $2.2 billion | About $22 million |
| Roof / canopy | 360 degree canopy covering about 64 percent of seats; open air over the field | Fully open, no cover |
| Seating angle | 34 degree incline, seats closer and steeper | Shallower bowl, seats set farther back |
| Field | Kentucky bluegrass with heating coils and grow lights (replanted before the season after preseason sod problems) | Artificial turf in its final decades |
| Snow | Largest stadium snow melt system in the NFL | Fans and crews shoveled it out, sometimes hours before kickoff |
| Premium seating | Roughly 54,000 personal seat licenses sold; new club and suite levels | Limited suites added in later renovations |
| Architects / builders | Populous; Gilbane and Turner joint venture | HNTB (original) |
| Lease | 30 years | Multiple extensions since 1973 |
| Last game / demolition | Groundbreaking June 5, 2023 | Last game Bills 35, Jets 8 on Jan. 4, 2026; demolition runs through early 2027 |
What Actually Changed for Fans
Fewer seats, better seats. Dropping 11,500 seats was a deliberate choice: the bowl is steeper and tighter to the field, so the upper deck sits closer to the action than the old stadium’s did. The tradeoff is that the Bills went from one of the larger stadiums in the league to the smallest.
Weather. The canopy is the biggest change. It does not cover the field, so wind and snow still matter for the game, but roughly 64 percent of fans sit under cover for the first time. The snow melt system handles the concourses and seating areas that used to require volunteer shoveling crews.
The field. Natural grass with heating and grow lights replaces artificial turf. The initial sod failed during preseason and was torn out and replanted before the opener, which is why the surface will be watched closely Thursday.
Location. It sits directly across Abbott Road from the old stadium on the same Orchard Park footprint, so parking, tailgating and the drive in are largely the same. The old building comes down over the next year.
Related
New Highmark Stadium: capacity, cost and everything to know · Lions vs. Bills preview · What time is the Bills game tonight
The Bottom Line
Smaller (60,108 vs. 71,608), covered (64 percent of seats vs. none), heated grass instead of turf, and about 100 times the price. The old stadium’s last game was January 4, 2026; the new one’s first real game is Thursday night.