An anticipated crowd of perhaps more than 100,000 people, including President Trump and several cabinet members, has made security a major focus in the planning for Charlie Kirk’s memorial on Sunday.
The service in Glendale, Ariz., will be held at State Farm Stadium, home of the N.F.L.’s Arizona Cardinals, which can hold up to 73,000 people. A nearby hockey arena that holds about 19,000 people will serve as an overflow area if needed.
The Department of Homeland Security designated the service as a top-level security event, akin to the Super Bowl or New York City Marathon.
Jose Miguel Santiago, a spokesman for the police department in Glendale, said that setting up security measures for the event was an “all hands on deck” operation, similar to how agencies prepared for Super Bowl LVII that was held at the stadium in 2023.
But a major difference between that event and the memorial on Sunday is that the police had years to prepare for the Super Bowl and just about a week to form a plan for Mr. Kirk’s service. Still, Mr. Santiago was confident that officials with his department — as well as the many federal and local agencies they are collaborating with — would be ready.
Hundreds of police officers will be circling the stadium, Mr. Santiago said, in addition to drones in the air and metal detectors on the ground. He said the police department had access to more than 300 security cameras in locations around the stadium.
“Every kind of security measure you can possibly think of will be in place,” he said.
Mr. Santiago said that Turning Point USA, the organization Mr. Kirk founded that organized the service, reported that more than 200,000 people had registered to attend the event.
Turning Point has told people to expect “T.S.A.-level screening,” referring to the airport security agency, and has warned of long wait times. The group has also said that no bags will be allowed inside the stadium, even if they are clear.
Security concerns were heightened after law enforcement officials investigated a number of potential threats connected to Mr. Kirk or the service. There was also confusion this weekend after the authorities arrested an armed man who had entered the stadium on Friday. But Turning Point USA later said the man had been doing advance security work for one of the guests who was planning to attend the service.
Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports on national stories across the United States with a focus on criminal justice. He is from upstate New York.
Chris Hippensteel is a reporter covering breaking news and a member of the 2025-26 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.
Jack Healy is a Phoenix-based national correspondent for The Times who focuses on the politics and climate of the Southwest. He has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s journalism school.
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