WATCH: In Memory of Charlie Kirk
A Sea of Supporters: Did Charlie Kirk's Memorial Break Records?
Thousands gather at State Farm Stadium for Charlie Kirk's memorial, with attendance estimates ranging from 73,000 to 200,000. Event security likened to Super Bowl-level preparations.
Tens of thousands of people converged on State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for a memorial service honoring conservative commentator and activist Charlie Kirk. The event drew an unprecedented crowd, with organizers and authorities offering varying accounts of the final attendance figures.
The gathering, organized by Turning Point USA, the youth-focused group Kirk founded, utilized the stadium's full capacity and an overflow area at the nearby Desert Diamond Arena. Ahead of the event, a Glendale Police spokesman, Jose Santiago, stated that authorities were anticipating a crowd of "around 100,000, and possibly more." Santiago noted that the security challenge was immense, likening it to a "Super Bowl-level event" due to the short preparation time.
A Turning Point USA spokesman, Andrew Kolvet, said that pre-registration for the event had exceeded 200,000, signaling the potential for a record-breaking crowd. However, State Farm Stadium's seating capacity is approximately 63,400, and with standing areas, it can hold over 73,000, complicating efforts to verify the highest estimates.
While the event's organizers touted a massive turnout, the final confirmed number of attendees remains a subject of debate. The disparity between the stadium’s physical capacity, the number of registrations, and the on-site attendance highlights the difficulty of accurately estimating crowds at large political events. Regardless of the final count, the gathering at State Farm Stadium demonstrated a powerful public show of support for the late activist.