CELEBRITY
SAYING GOODBYE: Charlie Kirk’s mourners lined up early outside State Farm Stadium to remember him at his memorial service on Sunday.

SAYING GOODBYE: Charlie Kirk’s mourners lined up early outside State Farm Stadium to remember him at his memorial service on Sunday.
Today in Phoenix, history will be written. From the President, Vice President, and top ministers to over 100,000 people—America gathers not just to mourn Charlie Kirk, but to stand with Erika. Every eye, every heart waits for her words… words that will spark a new revolution and lead the nation into a fearless future.” 🇺🇸✨

A boy, wearing an American flag-themed shirt, lies on the ground as people arrive, ahead of the morning sunlight, to attend a memorial service for slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona, U.S., September 21, 2025. REUTERS/Cheney Orr
TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The memorial service was being held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a 63,000-seat home of the Arizona Cardinals football team and the venue where Taylor Swift launched her Eras tour.
Thousands of people wearing red, white and blue poured into the stadium.

People wait in line before a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Lines snaked several blocks before sunrise Sunday, when temperatures were expected to near 100F (37.8C) by the afternoon. Inside the stadium, seats began to fill hours before the official program was due to begin. Supporters were already in tears as they listened to a Christian rock group that performed on stage in advance of the official program.
Jeffrey Barke, a physician with a large online following, went to the stadium with a group of friends from Orange county, California, on what he called a “pilgrimage of sorts” to honor Kirk’s life and legacy. He pledged to use own platform to aid in spreading “Charlie’s message”.
Christina Sawick, wearing a “Trump was right about everything” hat, said she had been watching and listening to Kirk since 2016. On Sunday, she left her home in Mesa at 3am to attend his memorial service.

People wait in line before a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
She said she appreciated Kirk’s willingness to debate anyone regardless of their politics or background. “He didn’t sugarcoat anything,” she said. “He just wanted to be heard and he wanted everybody to be heard.”
Thousands were gathering in Arizona for a public memorial to honor Charlie Kirk, the rightwing youth organizer who was fatally shot during an event at a Utah college.
Donald Trump, his vice-president, JD Vance, and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, were among a long list of prominent officials and figures expected to pay tribute to the slain activist, a reflection of his deep imprint on the president’s Make America Great Again (Maga) movement.