A public memorial service for Charlie Kirk will be held this Sunday, September 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Doors open at 8 a.m., with the service beginning at 11 a.m. The stadium can hold over 63,000 people and tickets are already completely sold out for the service. Thousands are expected to fill the stadium to mourn, remember, and honor the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder who was assassinated last Wednesday. For those who can’t attend in person, the service will be streamed live online.
President Donald Trump has confirmed he will be there, along with Vice President JD Vance, other top administration officials, and conservative influencers and leaders from across the country. President Trump has confirmed he will present Charlie with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the ceremony — a recognition of his extraordinary work in shaping the conservative youth movement and standing firmly beside the America First agenda.
The grief has been overwhelming. Few moments captured the pain more than when Erika Kirk, Charlie’s wife, posted a video of her final goodbye. In it, she is seen weeping and kissing her husband’s body as he lay in his casket. The raw, heartbreaking footage shook many supporters to their core, but it also sparked an avalanche of conspiracy theories online. Some insisted the body didn’t look real, pointing to Charlie’s yellow, waxy skin, or claiming his hands looked too stiff, almost mannequin-like. Others even speculated the family staged the images, or that Charlie wasn’t really gone.
To address these rumors, a licensed embalmer recorded a video breaking down exactly what people were seeing. She explained that embalmed hands can sometimes appear yellow, that a waxy look is common in open caskets, and that restorative art is often used to cover the trauma of gunshot wounds. She even acknowledged that Charlie’s appearance wasn’t ideal, saying the embalming work looked rushed, but she emphasized that nothing about it suggested fakery. She also explained why his wedding ring wasn’t present, why the body might have looked “stuffed” after autopsy, and whether an open casket at Sunday’s service is possible.
Sunday will be a painful day, but also a historic one. A young leader taken far too soon will be honored by the country he gave his life fighting for. Millions will tune in to mourn with his family, and to promise that Charlie Kirk’s mission will not die with him.