Memorial service for Charlie Kirk set for Arizona stadium as Trump and other GOP figures expected to speak

A public memorial for Charlie Kirk is scheduled for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with tens of thousands expected to attend to celebrate the Turning Point USA founder’s life. The 63,000-seat venue, home to the Arizona Cardinals, will host the service as Kirk’s family and colleagues gather to reflect on his work with the campus-based conservative organization he co-founded in 2012. Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, and high-profile political figures are slated to speak, and organizers have invited supporters from across the country to attend.

Turning Point USA announced the memorial, describing the service as an occasion to celebrate Kirk’s remarkable life and enduring legacy. A preliminary lineup circulated by the group on Sept. 17 included Erika Kirk; President Donald Trump; JD Vance; White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Secretary of War Pete Hegseth; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard; Donald Trump Jr.; Tucker Carlson; Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller; and Sergio Gor, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, with additional speakers to be announced as plans solidified. Organizers indicated more members of the Trump orbit would speak, alongside other invited guests.

The service is set to begin at 11 a.m. local time (2 p.m. Eastern; 6 p.m. GMT). In comments cited by local outlets, Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell said President Trump personally requested the stadium to accommodate mourners traveling from across the country, and that the setup would resemble a concert arrangement, with a stage on the south side and seating extending to the north. Local law enforcement agencies said preparations are on par with major events such as the Super Bowl, with police deploying all available resources and additional help from neighboring jurisdictions. Bomb squads and tactical units will be on standby as a precaution. It was not immediately clear whether the event would be designated a National Special Security Event, which would bring additional federal resources under a unified plan coordinated by the Secret Service.

Security officials emphasized the need to mitigate risks associated with large, high-profile gatherings. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said joint security planning is underway and that public safety information would be released as the process matures. Former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow told CNN that the location’s visibility could attract threats and that mitigation protocols must be in place in advance. In separate security developments ahead of the memorial, a bomb squad was dispatched to Turning Point USA’s headquarters after a suspicious bag was found outside the building; authorities cleared the street as a precaution, though no threat was identified.

The logistics for attendees include parking that opens at 7 a.m. local time, with entry to the stadium beginning an hour later. An indoor overflow area will be available at nearby Desert Diamond Arena for those who register interest. Guests are urged to dress in festive, patriotic attire—“Sunday best” in red, white and blue—and to anticipate entry screening with metal detectors and, if necessary, a pat-down. Prohibited items include alcohol, weapons, fireworks, drones, bags and clothing deemed obscene or indecent.

In the days surrounding the memorial, President Biden directed flags to fly at half-mast until Sunday at 6 p.m. local time in Kirk’s honor, while private events were planned in the lead-up to the service. Separately, a prayer vigil attended by lawmakers and others near the White House and the U.S. Capitol was scheduled for Sunday evening. Kirk was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University during an open-air “Prove Me Wrong” debate on Sept. 10. A suspect, Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested on Sept. 12 and faces seven charges, including aggravated murder and witness tampering. Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty; Robinson appeared by video link at his first court hearing on Sept. 17 and did not enter a plea.

Erika Kirk, in a tearful address after her husband’s death, said the tragedy would not derail Charlie Kirk’s mission. “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife,” she said, adding that the movement would continue and grow stronger with more campus tours planned for autumn and beyond. The organizers emphasized that the memorial would honor Kirk’s work and the broader conversation about free speech and political engagement in American democracy.