The Buffalo Bills will open the brand-new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Thursday, September 17, hosting the Detroit Lions in a Week 2 Thursday Night Football game on Prime Video. The debut game is already one of the most expensive regular-season tickets of the fall. NFL insider Adam Schefter shared the get-in prices on X on Tuesday, and they reflect the rarity of the occasion.
WROC in Rochester reported that seats in the upper-level sections begin at $800, with limited availability before prices climb past $1,000. Lower-level end zone seats open around $1,200. A pair of 50-yard-line seats was listed for $3,700.
Buffalo Bills' Highmark Stadium
A final look inside Highmark Stadium hours after the Bills’ win over the Jets in their last regular season game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 © Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Why the Lions-Bills matchup itself justifies the demand from fans
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Construction continues on the Buffalo Bills new stadium, across the street from their current home at Highmark Stadium, in Orchard Park, NY Thursday, July 10, 2025. This is the view from one of the end zone’s looking out into the stadium.
Part of what’s driving the market is that season-ticket holders consumed a significant portion of available inventory immediately, a product of the Bills’ loyal fanbase rather than anything the secondary market manufactured.
The get-in ticket price for the Thursday night, week 2, Lions-Bills game that will be the debut of Buffalo’s new Highmark Stadium: pic.twitter.com/yxU4AqUeTI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2026
Buffalo comes in off a 12-5 season that ended in the Divisional Round, breaking a five-year AFC East title streak. First-year head coach Joe Brady takes over a team with Josh Allen under center, 2025 rushing champion James Cook in the backfield, and new receiver DJ Moore added to the mix. The defense operates under new coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Buffalo Bills' Highmark Stadium
A final look inside Highmark Stadium hours after the Bills’ win over the Jets in their last regular season game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 © Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit had a rougher 2025 as they finished 9-8 and fell from the top of the NFC North to the bottom. Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams are all back though.
The full 2026 NFL schedule releases Thursday night, which will put the rest of the slate in perspective. But the Lions-Bills game already sits near the top of the list for anticipated matchups regardless of what else gets announced.
What happens inside Highmark Stadium on September 17 matters to both franchises beyond the novelty. Buffalo needs to show it’s back in the AFC conversation. Detroit needs to answer questions about last year. That’s not a bad way to open a building, and who knows, maybe it fits the price.