Topline
Organizers are expecting tens of thousands of people to attend a massive memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist who was shot and killed on a Utah college campus on September 10, as Republican leadership including President Donald Trump and many members of his administration will speak at the event.
The event, which is being billed as “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk,” will begin at 2 p.m. EST.
The service is being held in Glendale, Arizona, at the Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium, the 63,400-seat football stadium which can be expanded to seat a total of 72,200 spectators, while overflow seating will be directed to the nearby Desert Diamond Arena.
Police expect a crowd of 100,000, according to CNN, and cars began arriving at the stadium in the early morning hours Sunday.
Posts on social media showed a crowd gathered in the dark already lining up to get into the stadium.
Trump and Vance will headline the event as featured speakers, alongside Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, who was named CEO of his group Turning Point USA in the days following her husband’s assassination. Other speakers listed by TPUSA include several White House staff and Cabinet members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It will also feature several prominent conservative media figures, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and the president’s son Donald Trump Jr.
TPUSA told attendees to expect “TSA-level screening” before entering the arena, and posted a long list of prohibited items including bags, strollers, weapons, and “any other items determined to be a potential safety hazard.” With the president, vice president, and other Cabinet members in attendance, the Secret Service is expected to bring tight security practices to the event, CNN reported.