On Sunday, the memorial service for the murdered conservative activist and media provocateur will be held at an outsized venue befitting the widespread public attention his death has received: State Farm Stadium, which on many fall Sundays is home to the Arizona Cardinals. With the nation’s collective consciousness still zeroed in on Kirk’s stunning, gruesome assassination, Phoenix is set to become the center of the MAGA universe.
President Donald Trump is expected to attend, making the service one of the most high-profile occasions of the year. High-level administration officials and top Republicans will likely flock to the funeral in droves in what CNN noted will surely prove to be a major test for the already-strained Secret Service as well as local law enforcement.
“Charlie Kirk’s life was a testament to faith, courage, and conviction,” the memorial service’s webpage states. “From his earliest days, he believed America was worth fighting for, and he dedicated every moment of his 31 years to that cause. He lived with eyes fixed on eternity, grounded in the truth of God’s Word, and driven by a calling bigger than himself.”
Here’s what you should know about Sunday’s memorial, titled “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk.”
Who was Charlie Kirk?
After founding Turning Point USA in 2012, Kirk became one of several key players in the remaking of the Republican Party, coaxing its establishment into accepting the normalization of more extremist, right-wing tendencies, which eventually became the essence of the GOP.Kirk was a close ally of Trump and one of the president’s most loyal alt-right purveyors of propaganda. Kirk was an apologist for the excesses of capitalism, an advocate for social conservatism and a proponent of Christian white nationalism who had no problem telling Black people to their faces that they were better off before the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
Kirk and Turning Point also gained prominence within the Republican Party as critical to driving some Generation Z voters toward Trump and building a new, alt-right youth constituency for the GOP.
Where and when is Charlie Kirk's memorial service?
The service is at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, located at 1 Cardinals Drive. The doors of the stadium open at 8 a.m., while programming begins at 11 a.m. State Farm Stadium fits a total of 63,000 people.Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet did not respond to questions about expected attendance, but it’s likely that a large influx of right-wingers will make their way to Glendale for the service.
How can I attend the service?
You can RSVP to the service by clicking the "Register Here” button on the event webpage and filling out basic registration details.Admission is free and tickets will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Who is organizing Kirk's memorial?
The service is being organized by Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, the two nonprofit entities that constitute the political operation Kirk founded and actively ran.What should I know before I go?
Guidance for the event will be sent Saturday night, the registration page says.Parking can be tough at State Farm Stadium. The stadium’s website noted that general parking access points are on Glendale Avenue and Cardinals Way if you’re getting off the Loop 101 or at surface streets like 91st and 99th avenues. There are spots at Westgate — the dining and entertainment complex near the stadium.
Phoenix New Times has a parking guide for events at the stadium.
