Charlie Kirk Memorial Service at Cardinal Stadium, Glendale, AZ, Sunday, 9.21.2025

The public memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was held on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The service began at 11 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (2 p.m. Eastern Time) and was attended by tens of thousands of supporters.
Doors opened earlier in the morning, with reports indicating lines extending over a mile outside the stadium.

Kirk, who was fatally shot on September 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, was honored in a large-scale ceremony that featured prominent political figures and religious elements.
President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the event, during which he posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom and ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff.
Vice President J.D. Vance also spoke, calling the gathering a revival of Kirk’s legacy rather than a moment of mourning, and credited Kirk with helping to staff the Trump administration.

Other high-ranking officials in attendance included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy.
Rubio praised Kirk’s influence on young people, while Hegseth stated that Kirk “died the way he lived”.

The service included musical performances by Christian artists such as Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe Carnes, Brandon Lake, Chris Tomlin, Phil Wickham, and Lee Greenwood, known for “God Bless the USA”.
Religious imagery was prominent, with a large cross wheeled onto the field and attendees holding up religious signs and American flags.

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, appeared onstage during the service and was named the new CEO of Turning Point USA shortly before the memorial.
The event was streamed live by multiple news outlets, including LiveNOW from FOX, FOX LOCAL, and NewsNation, which provided special coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

While the memorial took place in Glendale, Kirk was laid to rest in Phoenix, described as his “adoptive” hometown.
His body had been held at Hansen Mortuary Chapel since being flown back from Utah on September 11 aboard Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President Vance.
The suspect in Kirk’s assassination, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested two days after the shooting and charged with murder, potentially facing the death penalty.