Highmark Stadium Guide: What You Need to Know About the Buffalo Bills’ Home Field

Editor’s Note: This article is part of the Stadium Guides series, a comprehensive guide to your NFL team’s stadium experience.

Buy tickets for Buffalo Bills games at Highmark Stadium here on StubHub.

Highmark Stadium, which opened in 1973, is the NFL’s fourth-oldest stadium, but also arguably its most outdated. While massive upgrades have been made to Soldier Field, Lambeau Field and Arrowhead Stadium, the Bills’ ballpark has remained relatively unchanged, aside from a seating capacity down from 80,020 to 71,608, the addition of club seats in the upper deck in the corners of one end zone and general technology updates.

Still, Highmark Stadium remains a destination, as Bills fans are a rowdy bunch who enjoy a wild game day experience. Bills Mafia takes tailgating to the next level. Some may call it dangerous, but navigating the parking lot parties is a thrilling adventure in itself.

There are concerns that the fan experience won’t survive the transition when the new stadium opens across Abbott Road in 2026. Those 21st-century amenities won’t come cheap, with an estimated final price tag of about $2 billion. Season ticket prices are expected to double and personal seat licensing will be a requirement for the first time, leading to a significant bump in overtime. New restaurant and bar options will try to lure fans in and out of the stadium’s tailgate parking lots. The new stadium will also be about 11,000 smaller seats.

Buffalo is no sparkplug, though, so it will be interesting to see how the Bills’ legendary fan experience changes in a few years.

The Athletics has compiled 32 stadium guides, one for each NFL team, to give fans essential information about the game day experience. We also asked readers to share their opinions on the best food, beer, and tailgate options at each stadium, among other things, to help football fans enjoy their visit.

Insider tips

2024 Must-See Stadium Game: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Nov. 17

More than any other AFC East opponent, the Chiefs are the Bills’ biggest rivals, having met seven times in the past four years. All three playoff games have ended Buffalo’s campaign, but the margin between these two heavyweights is slim. The Bills have won three straight regular-season games, all at Arrowhead Stadium. Last postseason, when the Chiefs finally played in front of fans at Highmark Stadium for the first time in a decade (Kyle Orton versus Alex Smith), the Bills’ decimated defense couldn’t hold up in a gut-wrenching three-point loss.

Fan tradition to know: ‘Shout!’

Tim Graham’s Favorite Thing

Football stadiums with palm trees in the parking lot? Goodyear Blimp shots of a dome canopy? Sterile images of artificial turf that has never felt the rain? No thanks! Give me the weather. Give me wind and rain and players exhaling steam. Give me those striking Currier and Ives shots of football players trudging through snow.

A vocal section of Bills fans have been calling for the new stadium to have a dome, but owner Terry Pegula believes football should be played outdoors and on grass. That means Lake Erie will continue to influence the Bills’ home games. The new stadium’s layout is designed to reduce the swirling winds that have plagued kickers for generations, but the weather in Western New York will continue to make games fascinating.

Scenes like the one from the infamous 2017 snow game don’t go away, even now that the Bills are getting a new stadium. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

The Athletics‘s stadium ranking: 24

Highmark Stadium ranks 24th on Jon Machota’s 2023 list, but it still ranks above two other stadiums in the AFC East that have previously hosted the Super Bowl: the 14-year-old MetLife Stadium and the recently renovated Hard Rock Stadium.

While the atmosphere at Orchard Park is electric, almost all of that energy is generated by the crowd. The old building adds little to the overall experience. Leave your seat for the dilapidated concourses and you have zero chance of following the action beyond the long lines for restrooms and concessions. There are no meaningful seating or communal areas. The logistics of food preparation are still rooted in the era when hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn were enough, leaving fans increasingly irritated by subpar menus over the years.

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Fan Advice for Match Day

The Athletic asked NFL fans for feedback on the following questions:

Which seating area offers the most value for your money?

Corner end zone seats. You want to sit in the lower bowl on cold days, it’s less windy there than the upper deck. — Adam H.

Now this is a fluid situation, but during the COLDEST games the best seats are the club seats (sections 206-218 I believe). Those heated seats can make a world of difference. If it’s not one of those games where you can get frostbite, the 300’s are incredibly affordable (especially when you compare them to resale value). There really isn’t a bad seat in the sideline sections and you can see the entire field. — Rob S.

What food should you absolutely not miss?

Due to limited dining options at the stadium, Bills fans suggested bringing your own food. Highmark Stadium allows outside food as long as it is unopened and in a single-use, clear plastic bag.

What is the best beer option?

There are several 24-ounce tallboy options spread throughout the stadium.

What is the best place to take a photo?

There is a viewing point, on the tunnel end zone side of the stadium, that is perfect for photos. Anonymously

Outside the Buffalo Bills team store is a great spot for photos, including the bronze statue of (former owner) Ralph C. Wilson. — Anonymously

What child-friendly activities/options are there in the stadium?

Buffalo Bills No Alcohol Corner: Sections 225, 226, and 227 have a zero tolerance policy for profanity and alcohol consumption. Violations of the policy will result in immediate removal.

M&T Family Zone: Section 105 has extra security, giveaways and family-friendly programming. Ticket holders will receive a gift at the game.

What’s the best place to tailgate?

Bills fans suggested private lots, which are cheaper than the stadium lots and are a short walk from the stadium.

What you need to know when you go

Stadium address: 1 Bills Dr., Orchard Park, NY 14127.

Year opened: 1973.

Roof? No roof.

Playing surface: A-Turf Titan 50.

Stadium capacity: 71,608.

Average attendance per game in 2023 (according to Pro Football Reference): 69,609.

Cards: According to StubHub, an average StubHub ticket to an NFL game at Highmark Stadium in 2024 costs $247.

Bag policy: Clear bags measuring 30 x 15 x 30 cm or smaller, clear bags measuring 3.8 liters (Ziploc or similar) and small clutches measuring 11 x 16 cm or smaller, with or without a strap, are permitted.

Outside food policy: Unopened foodstuffs in single-use packaging, transported in an approved transparent plastic bag, are permitted. Guests are not permitted to bring outside beverages, cans, bottles, thermoses, coolers, jugs or other containers into Highmark Stadium. Children’s juice boxes in the company of a child, baby bottles in the company of a baby and items necessary for medical purposes are permitted.

ADA Information: Special parking spaces for guests with disabilities are available in parking lot 2 ADA or parking lot 6 ADA. Wheelchair transportation is available from the stadium gates to a guest seat and from a guest seat to the stadium gates. For more information, click here.

Tailgating Policy: Tailgating is permitted in most stadium parking lots, except the Administrative Lot, Team Member Lot, Training Center Lot, Tunnel Lot, and Youth Stadium Lot. Tailgating in the Bus & Limo Lot is only permitted for limousines with a capacity of 11 passengers or less within Tailgate Village.

Transportation options: Stadium parking lots open four hours prior to kickoff and close after traffic clears, approximately one hour after the game. The Ride Share Lot at Highmark Stadium is located on the west side of the adjacent ECC South Campus. NFTA Game Day Express buses are also available for home games. Click here for more information on routes, times and policies.

More information: https://www.buffalobills.com/stadium/az-guide

The Stadium Guides series is part of a partnership with StubHub.

The Athletics maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories prior to publication.

(Top image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletics; photos: Brett Carlsen / Getty Images)