The Buffalo Bills are making a surprising cross-border gesture as tensions between the United States and Canada continue to boil.
The NFL team announced that both the American and Canadian national anthems will be performed before its highly anticipated home opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17.
The game will mark the first regular-season matchup at Buffalo’s brand-new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, just a short distance from the Canadian border.
Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies, famous for their 1998 hit “One Week,” will perform “O Canada.”
Auliʻi Cravalho, the actress and singer best known as the voice of Disney’s “Moana,” will then perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“For the first time in Highmark Stadium history, we will celebrate the American and Canadian anthems during pregame,” the Bills announced.
The unusual NFL ceremony comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa have become increasingly strained over tariffs, trade restrictions and President Donald Trump’s repeated comments about Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has responded with trade countermeasures of his own.
The Bills have not said the anthem decision was directly connected to the political dispute.
Instead, the move appears to acknowledge Buffalo’s longtime relationship with Canadian football fans.
The franchise has spent years building its following north of the border and even played a series of games in Toronto between 2008 and 2013.
Canadian residents also reportedly account for roughly 10% to 15% of the Bills’ season-ticket base.
Buffalo sports fans are already familiar with hearing both anthems.
The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres traditionally perform both “O Canada” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” before home games, regardless of which team they are facing.
But the Bills’ announcement quickly sparked debate online.
Some fans questioned why the Canadian anthem would be played before an NFL game between two American teams.
Others applauded the decision, pointing to Buffalo’s close cultural and economic ties with neighboring Ontario.
It remains unclear whether both anthems will be performed before future Bills home games or whether the ceremony is planned only for the stadium’s historic regular-season debut.
The Sept. 17 matchup will also feature another major spectacle, with OneRepublic scheduled to perform the first halftime show in the new stadium’s history.
