sport
Buffalo Bills Club Prepares for Blue & Red Scrimmage at Highmark Stadium
The Buffalo Bills stand at the center of local sports attention as the club readies its first public event inside the completed $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium.
How we reported this
The Buffalo Bills will stage the Blue & Red scrimmage inside Highmark Stadium on August 8, 2026, marking the first public event at the facility that opened on June 23, 2026.
Why the timing draws attention
The new venue replaces the 53-year-old stadium in Orchard Park whose demolition began in May 2025, with site work scheduled through 2027 for future parking use. Erie County and state officials tied the project to the Bills through announcements posted on governor.ny.gov, linking the club directly to the $2.1 billion investment.
Local sports infrastructure continues to shift while the Bills prepare the August scrimmage. The Thomas Smith Indoor Athletic Facility, an $11.5 million project in North Buffalo that broke ground in mid-2025, is due for completion by the end of 2026 and will serve as the city’s only indoor public sports venue.
Scale of the changes
Construction records show the Highmark Stadium price tag at $2.1 billion, with the first public event set for August 8, 2026. A separate $50 million 716 Sports Complex planned for Amherst will add track and turf fields once work begins in spring 2026 and finishes in 2027.
Developers and county planners continue site preparation around the former stadium footprint in Orchard Park. The Bills organization will use the August scrimmage to test operations inside the new building before the regular season.
Next steps center on final interior work and security planning ahead of the August 8 date listed in project updates from WKBW and state releases.