Buffalo Bills open Highmark Stadium with 'O Canada' for Canadian fans

sportsSep 18, 2026394,178

Scarborough-born rock band Barenaked Ladies performed an a cappella rendition of O Canada at the Buffalo Bills’ Highmark Stadium home opener in Orchard Park, New York, before the Bills hosted the Detroit Lions. Singer Ed Robertson led the anthem for a packed crowd that whooped and applauded at the song’s conclusion. The Bills announced on September 9 that they would celebrate both the American and Canadian anthems at the new $2.2-billion stadium, which crews completed in June. The gesture came as Canadian fans crossed the border to attend amid tense Canada, U.S. relations and an escalating trade dispute, and online commenters largely praised the salute. The team also ran a cross-border video segment earlier that day featuring retired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tossing a football to retired receiver Stevie Johnson across the Niagara River. It is unclear whether dual-anthem performances will continue throughout the NFL season, but the move was framed as part of a broader effort to recognize Buffalo’s sizable Canadian fan base.

Canada eh? 🇨🇦 🇺🇦

@canadaeh14.bsky.social

REMINDER: Barenaked Ladies are singing “O Canada” Canada’s national anthem at tonight’s Buffalo Bills home opener game tonight! #GoLadies #GoBills

3004Yesterday

Jessie Blue21

MAGA is gonna lose their 💩. 😆

🇨🇦 👊🇨🇦21

The Bills have such a loyal following in Toronto & southern Ontario that the team has played 7 games in the city to a packed stadium. Many Canadians are season ticket holders. 🔹 G O B I L L S🔹

Matt 🇨🇦19

I do really respect the folks in Buffalo. They were very much on the path of one of those rust belt cities that was their country tends to ignore and let die. They said no and have managed an economic and cultural revival in spite of that. Good people, good friends. Kudos. 🍻

Walt H17

I’d go if I had a million dollars.

Diane Taylor15

Western New Yorkers will always welcome Canadians no matter what the dictator in chief says! Oh Canada, glorious and free!

US Asunder13

Buffalo is Toronto South, and Toronto is Buffalo North. There are whole sections dedicated for Canadians when you go to a Bills game.

Quoting this

The Captain9

Americans love our Canadian friends, family and neighbors. It is the ROGUE PRESIDENT AND HIS DESPICABLE REGIME who hates our allies and is trying to sabotage our relationships.

🇨🇴Deaph 🇨🇦McKneticc🇺🇦2

Jamie , pull that up: Why are we glazing the Buffalo Bills now ? #CDNPoli #ElbowsUp

foghornleghorn1357.bsky.social

@foghornleghorn1357.bsky.social

Buffalo Bills Fans Sang O Canada Last Night And A Handful Of Fragile Americans Completely Lost Their Minds deanblundell.substack.com/p/buffalo-bi...

5814h ago

genxjennifer.bsky.social10

Detroit Lions fans sang it too. Trump is not going to ruin the good relationships we experience at the US-Canadian border.

rogue_corq10

Well the fragiles need NOT be at a #hockey game at all, then.

Pragmatic Educator8

I hope the Bills take on the Sabres tradition of singing both anthems at every home game

@ruadhmairi.bsky.social 🖇️🐸8

Awww…well ain’t that just too bad for those losers…tsk tsk…

Bob Wheeler6

NFL oligarchs doing what they do best.

Brok Windsor 🇨🇦5

That’s nice. We’re still boycotting.

Quoting this

timsicocan.bsky.social2

The anthem is never played before a track meet , cross country meet JV football game JV volleyball, JV soccer, not before the school play, not before the band recital. It's not played before every movie or rock concert. Why is it only the varsity and televised sports? WHO CARES.

Pat G🇨🇦 🍁🏳️‍🌈🍉

@pguist.bsky.social

This was cool to watch. Buffalo Bills celebrate home opener with game of cross-border catch as Barenaked Ladies set to sing O Canada.

17121h ago

Anonymous Choice ☮️4

Way cool! I'm in Ohio & was at Lake Erie this morning. Thinking of our "cousins" on the north side of the lake. (Pic is gloomy because it was 75F, but humidity was 95% & dew point 75.) But turned behind me & stream looked better. 🙂

Cricket of MeadowHawk 🇨🇦3

My new favourite 🇺🇸 city. (Recent vacancy)

12-sm.bsky.social1

that's really nice.tho buffalo's always had gd relations with the canucks so close.is nothing new.

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘

@kojamf.bsky.social

Buffalo Bills' home opener more than 60,000 NFL fans stood together as the iconic Canadian band Barenaked Ladies performed "O Canada", marking the first time in franchise history that the Canadian national anthem was performed at a Bills home opener.

1523h ago

George the Cat1

We 💙🇨🇦! We also stand to guard 🇨🇦

JeffTrnka

@jefftrnka.bsky.social

Barenaked Ladies sing O Canada at Buffalo Bills home opener. Canadian fans cheer as Bills play the Detroit Lions. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

408h ago

Doc Naismith 🇨🇦

@docnaismith.bsky.social

Pretty cool that the Bills are singing “O Canada” … especially with Buffalo and Detroit representing two NFL cities right on the Canada–U.S. border. 🇨🇦🇺🇸

3318h ago

Global News

@globalnews.ca

Barenaked Ladies perform ‘O Canada’ for packed house at Bills’ new stadium. globalnews.ca/news/1206403...

105h ago

JustONEbeforeIdie 🦬❤️

@justonebeforeidie.bsky.social

#BillsMafia. For those of you at the game last: how loud was the crowd singing the Canadian National anthem? In the 400's I couldn't hear BNL because the crowd was singing so loud. Imagine my surprise when I went home to watch the game on DVR they cut out the crowd singing! 😱 what did you hear?

165h ago

Adam Korengold3

I’m sure it has nothing to do with the game being on @amazonprime.bsky.social which is one of the felon’s money laundering vehicles😂

jry3rd.bsky.social1

Censorship in the “LAND OF THE FREE” Ha ha. The land of the fuckwit.

Buffalo Temple of Music, Sports, and Whatever

@sethfromthe716.bsky.social

77 points scored by the Buffalo Bills in the first 2 games. Not too shabby. #GoBills #DETvsBUF #BillsMafia

1114h ago

This Canadian 🇨🇦💯

@adeighton.bsky.social

youtube.com/watch?v=fqRz... American talking heads pissed off about the Canadian anthem. Oh well moving on 🇨🇦💯☮️🍁

98h ago

Cheryl Winston

@clccw.bsky.social

Still stateside. Don't have stupid Prime, but watching the Buffalo Bills v Detroit Lions at friends' house in Boulder. Canadian anthem on tap c/o #BarenakedLadies. Buffalo and Canada: ❤️💙🇨🇦🦬🏈#BillsMafia #GoBills

1121h ago

Anthony (game script enthusiast)

@proant.bsky.social

Week 2 has a lot of football left, but through 2 weeks the Buffalo Bills offense is 5th in play action rate at 35.9%. Just as the football gods intended

124h ago

Jennifer Smith Weber

@allthingsjennifer.bsky.social

I held back from *news* to only focus on my Buffalo Bills. I should probably log off in my happy haze and scroll again tomorrow. Goodnight #BillsMafia

1214h ago

Bruce D. Cowherd 🇨🇦

@brucedc77.bsky.social

O Canada to be performed at Buffalo Bills home opener tonight by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. #Canada 🇨🇦 #Bills 🦬 🏈 #BillsMafia

9Yesterday

Paul Ferreira

@paulto.bsky.social

Best thing I’ve seen online this morning ⬇️ Thank you, #Bills, for uniting people on both sides of the border during these turbulent times. As a diehard since I was 8-years-old, this makes me extra proud to be member of #BillsMafia — the best fans anywhere! #GoBills

64h ago

3 sources

ctvnews.caCTV News in Buffalo: Bills welcome Canadian fans for home opener amid Canada-U.S. tensions theglobeandmail.comBuffalo Bills lean into their Canadian audience with Barenaked Ladies’ performance of ‘O Canada’nytimes.comFor the Buffalo Bills, ‘O Canada’ is business — and something bigger

Buffalo Bills open Highmark Stadium with 'O Canada' for Canadian fanssports

Buffalo Bills open Highmark Stadium with 'O Canada' for Canadian fans

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