Federal and local authorities are mounting Super Bowl-level security for “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk,” the memorial service set for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other political figures are scheduled to speak.
Kirk, 31, a close Trump ally and co-founder of the Turning Point network of conservative organizations, was assassinated Sept. 10 while speaking at a debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Sunday’s tribute is expected to highlight his activism and influence while drawing tens of thousands of mourners to the 63,000-seat stadium, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
The Turning Point USA co-founder grew up in Illinois, but spent much of his adult life in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he lived with his wife, Erika, and their children.
The U.S. Secret Service is coordinating the operation at the stadium, which has been designated a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 — the highest federal security classification, typically reserved for events such as Super Bowls and political conventions.
People planning to attend Sunday’s service must register first on the TPUSA website.
The event will be first-come, first-served, based on stadium capacity, with overflow seating available next door at Desert Diamond Arena, the home of the Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers.
Attendees are being told to wear their Sunday best clothing, in red, white, or blue colors, to the service.
“Join us in celebrating the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend. The morning of Sunday, September 21, at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, in Glendale, AZ,” TPUSA posted on X to announce the memorial.
Meanwhile, the security preparations are being heightened to top levels, according to William Mack, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Phoenix office.
“Our teams are already on the ground in Phoenix and Glendale, working side-by-side with state, local, and federal partners,” he said.
There is a strict set of guidelines for those attending the memorial service, according to Glendale, Arizona police, posting on X that camping overnight at the State Farm Stadium’s parking lots and around the area will not be permitted.
The gates for the service will open at 8 a.m., with the parking lots to opening at 7 a.m. Attendees should expect airport-style screening, slow-moving lines, and traffic delays similar to major concerts or football games. Officials are urging carpooling and rideshare use to ease congestion.
The Glendale Fire Department posted an extended list of guidelines for the service, in a “know before you go guide,” stating that “This Sunday, we anticipate a large influx of visitors for the event at @StateFarmStdm,” the department posted.
“Please be patient and expect delays in the area,” the statement said. “Remember, NO OVERNIGHT CAMPING is allowed as it’s private property. Parking lots open at 7 AM. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”
The GFD also stressed that entry will be denied to attendees carrying bags and said no baby strollers will be permitted. In addition, attendees should not bring cards, flowers, signs, or other items and should expect heightened security screening and longer wait times.
And, the department urged attendees to: “See something, say something — report concerns immediately.”
Stadium officials, posting about the event, said that State Farm Stadium “is committed to creating a safe and comfortable experience for all attendees at State Farm Stadium, Sportsman’s Park and throughout our parking areas,” and that it supports an environment free from unruly, illegal, or disruptive behavior.
In addition, the officials said, magnetometers will be used to screen all attendees at the security checkpoints, and those refusing to be screened will not be permitted entry.
Several items are also not permitted to be brought into the venue, including aerosol cans, alcohol, or coolers.
They added that the roof will remain closed during the memorial.
Glendale police spokesman Jose Santiago told Arizona Central that the event will stand out from even the stadium’s past Super Bowls and sold-out concerts because of the “amount of dignitaries that are going to be involved.”
He added that “we will not be surprised if more than 100,000 people show up.”
The speakers will include Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk; President Donald Trump; Vice President JD Vance; White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard; Donald Trump Jr.; Tucker Carlson; Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller; and Ambassador to India nominee Sergio Gor.
A federal assessment circulated this week by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives warned that agencies are “tracking several threats of unknown credibility” tied to the memorial.
“Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders 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 memo said, according to ABC News, which obtained the document.
Security experts said the stadium itself — with its retractable roof and expansive open spaces — presents challenges. Counter-snipers are expected to be positioned inside and outside the arena, while federal teams prepare contingencies for vehicle ramming, biological hazards, and other potential disruptions.
Jonathan Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent and CNN contributor, said that the location still “may be seen as an attractive target for a hostile actor because of its visibility.”
“The potential for it to be disrupted through a series of different threats, or even the threat of a threat, is something that law enforcement really has to focus in on,” he told CNN.
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