The franchise has confirmed the Super rugby match against the Chiefs on May 30 next year will be played at Rugby Park in Invercargill.
Forsyth Barr Stadium is being used for the Fifa Under-20 World Cup and is unavailable for the match.
The Highlanders looked at the option of playing in both Invercargill or Queenstown or even overseas, but in the end picked the southern city.
Assistance by local authorities would be given for the game and general manager Roger Clark expected a crowd of about 6000, but was hopeful of getting more.
''We won't take anything for granted and the team performance obviously has a big impact on how many people turn up. So the team will be working hard to perform and you would like to think people would repay that,'' he said.
''But this is a big game. Taking on the Chiefs is one of the biggest games of the season. Over the past couple of years, games against the Chiefs have been really exciting.''
The Highlanders did not play a Super rugby game in Invercargill last season. The side's last Super rugby game in the city was at the start of last year, when it suffered a heavy loss to the Cheetahs.
The side played a New Zealand Barbarians team in Invercargill in June this year which drew about 1500 to Rugby Park.
Clark said Sanzar had granted permission to have a game in Queenstown played in the afternoon but, commercially, it was not a great time in Queenstown. The ground in Queenstown does not have lights. A Super rugby game was last played in the town in 2010.
Although it was Queen's Birthday weekend, Queenstown was in a shoulder season for tourists and there was not a captive market in the resort.
Clark said the Highlanders had looked seriously at playing a match overseas and it was still on the table.
''We are moving closer to the reality of it happening. I would like to think it is going to happen sometime soon.''
Clark said it would be an idea to play a game overseas in the June test window, when Super rugby teams have time off and tests are played.
Games played in the test window in June to keep up match fitness had never been well attended in New Zealand, as the public had their minds on test matches.
An exhibition game in Asia against another Super rugby team was an option and would be self-funding. It is believed the Highlanders are not the only franchise looking at this option.
The Highlanders will assemble next Thursday but will not get out on to the training paddock until the following Monday.
With injuries and players on leave because of national team commitments, extra players have been called in.
Southland halfback Scott Eade, Southland fullback Junior Ngaluafe, Otago loose forward James Lentjes and Otago lock Josh Dickson will all join the squad to make up numbers in pre-season.
Sio Tomkinson, who has just left Otago Boys' High School, will also join the squad for some training pre-Christmas to get him exposed to professional rugby.
