Interior view of Highmark Stadium prior to an NFL pre-season football game featuring the Buffalo Bills against the Carolina Panthers in Orchard Park, N.Y., Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

By The Canadian Press

Bills to play ‘O Canada’ at home opener amid strained cross-border relations

Sep 9, 2026 | 10:17 AM

BUFFALO — The Buffalo Bills are taking a page out of the Sabres’ playbook when it comes to cross-border relations.

The NFL club says both “O Canada” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be performed before its Sept. 17 home opener against the Detroit Lions, the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium.

Canadian band Barenaked Ladies will perform “O Canada,” while actress and singer Auliʻi Cravalho will perform the American anthem.

The move comes as Canada-U.S. relations have deteriorated amid an escalating trade war and U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to Canadian sovereignty.

The NHL’s Sabres perform both national anthems before every home game, regardless of opponent, a tradition tied to Buffalo’s proximity to the border and its strong Canadian fan base. In April, fans helped finish “O Canada” after the singer’s microphone failed during a Stanley Cup playoff game against Boston.

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The Bills also have deep ties north of the border, with the team saying last year that Canadian residents accounted for an average of 10 to 15 per cent of its season-ticket base.

Bills to play ‘O Canada’ at home opener amid strained cross-border relations

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