ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills are giving the first regular-season home game at the new Highmark Stadium an international feel. Buffalo will feature both “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “O Canada” before its Week 2 showdown with the Detroit Lions on Thursday, September 17.
Auliʻi Cravalho will sing the U.S. national anthem, while Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies will perform “O Canada.” The Bills said it will be the first time in Highmark Stadium history the American and Canadian anthems are celebrated during pregame.
The ceremony adds another historic element to a huge night for Bills Mafia: Detroit’s visit will be the first regular-season NFL game at the new Highmark Stadium.
Bills vs. Lions: date, time and how to watch
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on September 17 in Orchard Park. The Week 2 game will be shown nationally on Prime Video as part of Thursday Night Football.
The Bills’ official 2026 schedule confirms Detroit as Buffalo’s first regular-season opponent at the new stadium.
The matchup comes during an unusual opening stretch for the league. Fans can also see why the NFL is starting on a Wednesday in 2026 and how that affects the opening schedule.
Why the Bills are playing ‘O Canada’
Buffalo’s fan base has never stopped at the U.S. border. Orchard Park is within easy traveling distance of Southern Ontario, and thousands of Canadian supporters regularly cross the border for Bills games.
Canadian residents have represented a meaningful share of Buffalo’s season-ticket base, making the anthem choice particularly relevant on the night the franchise introduces its new home to the NFL regular season.
There is also a Buffalo sports precedent. The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have a long tradition involving the American and Canadian anthems at KeyBank Center, reflecting the city’s close sporting relationship with Canada.
Who is performing the national anthems?
Cravalho, best known as the original voice of Disney’s Moana, was described by the Bills as a fan of the team. She will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Barenaked Ladies, formed in Scarborough, Ontario, will perform “O Canada,” giving the pregame ceremony a direct Canadian connection.
One detail is important: Buffalo has announced both anthems for the September 17 home opener. The Bills have not confirmed that “O Canada” will be performed before every home game, so this should not yet be considered a permanent season-long change.
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New Highmark Stadium gets its regular-season debut
The new Highmark Stadium has a capacity of 60,108 and features a natural-grass field. The multibillion-dollar venue was built next to Buffalo’s former stadium and keeps the franchise in Orchard Park.
Bills players will also wear a special 2026 Inaugural Season at Highmark Stadium jersey patch as the franchise celebrates its first year in the building.
That means the Lions game will begin a new set of Buffalo records: the first regular-season kickoff, touchdown, sack and victory at the stadium will all come from games played in the new venue.
Josh Allen vs. Lions under the Thursday night lights
Once the ceremony ends, the focus turns to football. Josh Allen and the Bills will face a Detroit team featuring quarterback Jared Goff and offensive standouts Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Buffalo has won four consecutive home openers dating to 2022, averaging 38.5 points in those games, according to the team.
Fans following Buffalo’s schedule can also revisit the Steelers vs. Bills matchup and viewing details for related Bills coverage.
OneRepublic joins the opening-night celebration
The entertainment will continue at halftime. OneRepublic is scheduled to headline the first home-opener halftime show at the new stadium with a three-to-four-song set.
Fans will receive PixMob LED bracelets designed to illuminate in synchronization with the performance, while Prime Video is expected to carry part of the show nationally.
From Cravalho and Barenaked Ladies before kickoff to Bills-Lions in prime time and OneRepublic at halftime, Buffalo is turning September 17 into more than a normal home opener. For Canadian Bills fans in particular, hearing “O Canada” before the new stadium’s first regular-season game will recognize a cross-border connection that has long been part of Buffalo football.
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