Expect tight security at State Farm Stadium for Charlie Kirk memorial
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State Farm Stadium in Glendale — the site of Charlie Kirk's memorial. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
All eyes will be on State Farm Stadium on Sunday, where a massive security presence will surround the memorial for Charlie Kirk.
Why it matters: The event, "Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk," comes amid heightened tensions following the conservative activist's fatal shooting in Utah last week.
State of play: President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other high-level members of the administration, along with prominent political figures, will speak at the memorial for the co-founder and leader of Arizona-based conservative youth organization Turning Point USA.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated the memorial a Level 1 Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) event, the same level reserved for events like the Super Bowl and Boston Marathon, ABC News reported.
- That's the agency's highest event security rating, meaning it has national or international importance and requires "extensive federal interagency support," per DHS.
What to know: Admission is first come, first served, with overflow seating at Desert Diamond Arena, but registration is encouraged, per Turning Point USA.
- Parking lots open at 7am, an hour before doors open for the 11am event. Overnight parking is prohibited.
- The stadium accommodates at least 63,400 people, and a Glendale Police Department spokesperson told ABC News he wouldn't be surprised to see more than 100,000.
- Attendees should expect long waits and full parking lots. Glendale PD is urging people to carpool or use rideshare services, the Arizona Republic reported.
- Meanwhile, Turning Point USA is urging people to dress in red, white and blue and to wear their "Sunday best."
Zoom in: Attendees should expect "presidential-level security and perhaps concert or football-level attendance," the Republic wrote.
- Weapons and explosives.
- Outside food and beverages (one factory-sealed, non-frozen bottle of water is permitted).
- Strollers and wagons.
- Selfie sticks.
- Signs.
- Most bags. Only clear bags no bigger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches will be permitted.
Meanwhile, the fallout from Kirk's murder has prompted an abundance of caution elsewhere.
- U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) on Wednesday canceled previously scheduled town halls in Tucson and Yuma over threatening phone calls and social media posts, several days after canceling an event in Nevada over safety concerns, according to the Republic.
- Phoenix police on Wednesday cleared the area outside Turning Point USA's headquarters following reports of a suspicious bag. The bag was later deemed safe.
Go deeper: Senate passes "National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk"