The Buffalo Bills have provided further insight into New Highmark Stadium through the release of a fresh set of renderings showcasing details of the lower bowl and concourse areas with 360° visibility of the field.
New Highmark Stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2026 NFL season. It will have a capacity of around 63,000 and will replace the current Highmark Stadium, which seats 71,000 fans.
Construction work commenced in June 2023 on the site adjacent to the current venue, with the Bills yesterday (Tuesday) detailing various aspects of the new facility which will address gripes with the stadium that opened in 1973.
Through the bowl view illustrations, the Bills said New Highmark Stadium’s architecture, drawn up by Populous, is a stacked design creating seating that, in general, is much closer to the field than the current venue, and many other stadiums.
The upper deck will be about 50 feet closer to the field than is currently the case at Highmark Stadium. The stadium’s exterior will peak at 116 feet above grade, almost double the height of Highmark Stadium.
The Bills said the franchise and Populous have spent “countless hours” ensuring that accessibility and sightlines are among the best in the NFL, adding that the audio/visual experience will be “night and day” compared to the current stadium. The seating bowl features two state-of-the-art video boards and an acoustic system that allows targeting of sound to specific areas of the stadium.
In terms of the concourses, New Highmark Stadium will feature radiant heat at points of congregation. Each concourse has 360° visibility directly into the bowl, keeping fans connected to the game even when they need to leave their seat, which is currently not the case.
The Bills said extensive effort has been put into maximising accessibility and improving fan experience for all fans. New Highmark Stadium and its surrounding campus will feature Enhanced 5G Ultra-Wide Band Coverage, including State-of-the-art Small Cell Technology (DRAN).
In November, it was revealed that New Highmark Stadium is now set to cost more than $2.1bn (£1.69bn/€2.04bn), significantly exceeding what was budgeted by the Bills when construction commenced.
The reserved seating process for current Season Ticket Members (STMs) began in September with those STMs whose seats are located on the visitor sideline 50-yard line. The Bills yesterday said they are continuing to work through the lower bowl with the expectation that all STMs will have the opportunity to visit the Stadium Experience by next football season.
The club seating process, which began in March, has now concluded with all club seating completely sold out. The suite process, which also began in March, is nearing conclusion with the Bills stating “extremely limited availability” remains.
In August, the Bills unveiled additional renderings of the new stadium, focusing on the hospitality offerings at the venue. The renderings showcased the Founders Club, East Club and Field Club.
The open-air stadium is being built on a 242-acre site and is set to be the biggest project ever developed in Western New York. Once the venue is complete, the current Highmark Stadium is set to be demolished and redeveloped as a parking lot.
