The draw for next year's Super 15 was released yesterday by Sanzar and the Highlanders will kick off their season against the Chiefs in Hamilton on February 25.
They will then face the Crusaders in their first match at the new stadium on March 3.
The side will play seven games before its first bye and its second bye in the competition will be in the final round of the competition.
Highlanders general manager Roger Clark said although the board and management had not made a final decision on where exactly the eight home games would be played the franchise had to take advantage of the new stadium.
"Though Invercargill is not out of it and there is still Easter and the Chiefs' pre-season game, the reality is that in the first year of the stadium we have got to take the maximum advantage of it," Clark said.
"The bottom line is we always knew with the first year of the stadium that we want to use it as much as we can. We [Highlanders season ticket-holders] have 2500 members and the stadium has 2500 members so that is a crowd of 5000 already."
He said there was a pre-season game in Oamaru and two games in Invercargill last year but, with the Forsyth Barr Stadium now open, the chance of Invercargill getting a game next season was remote.
The Highlanders had been drawn to host the Stormers on Easter Saturday, and Clark said there was the possibility of taking that game to Invercargill or Queenstown.
Previous thinking had been that the Easter game should not be played in Dunedin, as the city was deserted, but Clark said it may be worth a try to play it in Dunedin.
The franchise was also getting a lot of commercial support out of Queenstown so would want to reward that by playing a game in the resort.
The Queenstown Events Centre does not have lights but Clark said the franchise had approval from Sanzar to play the game against the Stormers during the day. The issue would be discussed by the Highlanders board later this month.
Clark said the first game at the stadium against the Crusaders was seen by the Highlanders as a bonanza and he hoped for a large crowd. The franchise had an average crowd last season of 10,300 and was budgeting for 11,000 next year.
He said that was a conservative figure, and he obviously hoped for more.
Pre-season games would also be played against the Blues and Crusaders, both away.
In the 15-team competition the Highlanders do not play the Western Force and the Lions from South Africa, two teams which finished below them last season, but actually defeated them in matches.
The side this year did not play the Sharks and the Reds, but will meet these teams, both in away games, next season.
The Highlanders travel to South Africa in the middle of the season, and have four games on Friday nights.
The Crusaders have yet to confirm a venue for their home matches but it is believed the franchise may base itself at Rugby League Park in Addington.
