Buffalo Bills Celebrate New Highmark Stadium Steel Topping Out

Buffalo Bills fans must be getting excited! Sure, we are months away from pre-season, but it's exciting to see the progress on the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul joined over 100 guests, along with hundreds of Union Construction Workers, as the final beam of structural steel was put in place. The 2.1 billion dollar Highmark Stadium will ensure that the Bills will call it home for the next 30 years.

Today is about you, hard workers. We're going to put this piece of steel up. We’re calling this the topping off ceremony. I call it the first piece of building the rest of the stadium. - Terry Pegula, Buffalo Bills Owner

The new Highmark Stadium has been under construction for the past 20 months, and when finished, will seat 60,000. According to the announcement from Governor Hochul and other officials, so far, over 22,000 pieces of steel have been put in place, weighing in at over 25,000 tons.

Approximately 1,500 workers are working on the new Highmark Stadium, including masonry, electrical, and plumbing professionals. Over 1.7 million craft-hours of construction completed so far, with that number expected to double by completion.

Today marks a major milestone for the future home of the Buffalo Bills and one of the largest construction projects ever in Western New York. This world-class stadium would not be possible without our skilled union workers and partners, and I look forward to cheering along with them at the first Bills game being played here in the 2026 season. - New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

What will fans enjoy once the new Highmark Stadium is completed? This is how Governor Hochul's Office breaks it down:

• A 360-degree canopy covering 65 percent of the seats
• Heated concourse and seating in several areas
• World’s largest snow melt system, utilizing roof sensors to monitor and liquify snow piles
• Two state-of-the-art video boards and an acoustic system to maximize patrons’ audio and visual experience
• Upper deck with views of the City of Buffalo, Lake Erie, and the Boston Hills
• Inviting welcome plaza highlighted by a sculpture of a family of American Bison
• Mix of concessions, kitchens, and retail stores
• Accessibility for people with disabilities

Check out the ceremony at the site of the new Highmark Stadium below.