Thousands of people will gather on Sunday (Monday AEST) to honour the life of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a memorial service expected to underscore his indelible influence on American politics.
With a lineup of speakers from the highest levels of the US government, including President Donald Trump, Kirk’s memorial is poised to resemble something akin to a state funeral for the US conservative movement, carrying with it all the gravity – and security concerns – such an occasion entails.
The Secret Service will be the lead agency co-ordinating security at the massive event, which Glendale police estimated could draw more than 100,000 people.
A memorial banner for conservative activist Charlie Kirk outside of State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Bloomberg)
Here’s what we know about the memorial and security around it:
Kirk’s memorial service will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, 11 days after he was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University.The memorial will feature a who’s who of US leaders and conservative pundits paying tribute to the slain activist, who was a close ally of the president. Trump said earlier this week he would “say a few words” at the ceremony.
“We’ll be going out to a service on Sunday. I’ll be leaving with some of the people in this room, just to celebrate Charlie and all that he’s done,” Trump said on Thursday at a news conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Kirk was a “great person,” the president said, adding he believed Kirk might have become president himself one day.
In addition to the president, Turning Point USA has also said Vice President JD Vance and Kirk’s widow, Erika, would deliver remarks.
A girl places flowers at a makeshift memorial for Charlie Kirk outside Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix. (AP)Erika Kirk, who had two young children with Kirk, has pledged to continue her late husband’s work, including his campus tours and podcast. On Thursday, Turning Point USA announced she is the organisation’s new CEO.
Beyond the marquee speakers, numerous other Trump administration officials and high-profile conservative personalities are expected to attend, highlighting Kirk’s stature in Republican politics and his relationships with members of the White House and Trump’s cabinet.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller are also slated to provide remarks, as are Donald Trump Jr and Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host and conservative commentator.
Worship music at the service will be led by prominent Christian contemporary musicians like Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham and Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes.
Attendance will be ‘big,’ Trump says
State Farm Stadium – home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals – can seat more than 63,000 people, according to its website, with the ability to expand to accommodate an additional 10,000.
While the exact number of attendees is unclear, the crowd could ultimately exceed 100,000 people, Glendale police spokesperson Moroni Mendez told CNN.
“We’re going to have a stadium, and I bet that stadium is going to be pretty packed, maybe completely packed,” Trump said on Monday when asked about the memorial. “It’s going to be big.”
Nicole and Amalia, who asked to be identified by their first names only, stand for a photo at a makeshift memorial for Charlie Kirk outside Turning Point USA headquarters. (AP)
Attending the memorial in person requires registration through Turning Point USA, which said people would be welcomed on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
That includes providing a name, email, phone number and ZIP code, with additional guidance to be given to attendees on Saturday evening.
Parking will be free, but Turning Point USA has asked those who attend to carpool if possible. Attendees are also asked to follow a dress code: “Sunday Best – Red, White, or Blue.”
Overflow seating will be available at Desert Diamond Arena, just across West Maryland Avenue, according to Turning Point USA. The event also will be livestreamed on Kirk’s Rumble account, the organisation said.
The organisation had not released any attendance registration numbers as of late Friday morning.
Law enforcement faces security challenges
With so many American leaders in attendance, Kirk’s memorial will present a major test for law enforcement, particularly the Secret Service, which will be the lead agency coordinating security while already strained and under pressure in an era of rising political violence.
“Our teams are already on the ground in Phoenix and Glendale, working side-by-side with state, local, and federal partners. Together, we are fully committed to ensuring that these solemn events receive the comprehensive protection and support they require,” William Mack, the special agent in charge of the Phoenix field office, said in a statement.
After an armed man was taken into custody on Friday at the Glendale stadium and booked on suspicion of impersonating an officer and carrying a weapon into a prohibited place, the executive producer for The Charlie Kirk Show, Andrew Kolvet, said the man was doing “advance security for a known guest” planning to attend the service.
Alexander von Ebbe visits a makeshift memorial set up at the Turning Point USA headquarters for Charlie Kirk. (AP)
“We do not believe this person was attempting anything nefarious, however the advance was not done in proper coordination with the TPUSA security team or US Secret Service,” Kolvet said in a statement.
The US Secret Service reported the man was “exhibiting suspicious behaviour” and said he falsely claimed to be a member of law enforcement, Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said. He has since been released on bond.
Kolvet also noted the incident took place before the site was “fully sealed and locked down”.
The memorial has been given a Level 1 special event assessment rating, a senior Department of Homeland Security official said – the highest such designation.
The SEAR-1 rating, previously given to other major events such as the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby, frees federal resources across the federal government to coordinate on security.
”This designation is reserved for events of the highest national significance and enables the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event,” the official said.
US national security agencies “have no information to indicate a verified, credible threat” to the event, according to a joint threat assessment obtained by CNN.
But the assessment notes extremists “may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior US government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists, and due to major international media attention.”
The threat assessment indicates authorities have observed “several threats of unknown credibility” to some of the people who are expected to attend the ceremony, including the Kirk family, Trump and Vance, but does not spell out any threats to the event itself.
Since Kirk’s killing, sources say they have observed streams of online hate from people of various political affiliations but are not tracking any credible threats.
Turning Point has signalled attendees should expect “TSA-level screening,” saying on its web page for the memorial that “advanced security measures are in place, which may result in longer wait times than usual”. Bags will not be allowed inside.
Under normal circumstances, State Farm Stadium falls under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which confirmed state, federal and local law enforcement are coordinating on planning and security for Kirk’s memorial.
A department spokesperson declined to provide further details, telling CNN: “We are not able to discuss that planning, tactical and security considerations, or staffing.”
Asked about the Glendale Police Department’s preparation for Kirk’s memorial, spokesperson Officer Moroni Mendez noted the city has hosted many large events in recent years, giving it the experience needed to deal with an influx of visitors. State Farm Stadium, for example, hosted Super Bowl LVII in 2023.
“With that, we obviously have the experience, and are proficient at hosting these types of mega events,” Mendez told CNN, though he acknowledged this event would be different.
“There’s going to be a lot of important people here. We had a meeting with the Secret Service yesterday to talk about how we’re going to go about planning this event,” Mendez said.
Mendez warned traffic in and around Glendale would be impacted and that some intersections would be closed as police work to direct attendees to parking lots.
“We’ll have all our units available. It will be a busy day for everyone, not just Glendale but also Arizona DPS and all the agencies assisting.”
