NFL Kickoff Game is the name given to the first game of the National Football League (NFL) regular season. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. This first game of the season is usually scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day in early September. On two occasions, the game was scheduled for Wednesday: 2012, to avoid conflicts with the acceptance speech of the Democratic National Convention and the other in 2026 when the league scheduled an International Series game on Thursday.