WATCH LIVE: Thousands gather for Charlie Kirk memorial service underway at arena in Arizona

The public memorial honoring Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative youth activist who was assassinated during an event at a Utah college, is underway on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale with a lineup of high-profile guests in attendance including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

Organizers said they were expecting about 100,000 people to attend the event.

The program begins at 11am local time. 

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, will be taking over as CEO of the organization her husband co-founded, Turning Point USA (TPUSA).

The arena is home to the Arizona Cardinals football team and Grammy Award-winning recording artist Taylor Swift kicked off her Eras tour at the same venue. 

The U.S. Secret Service led a heavy security operation for the event, with some comparing it to Super Bowl-level protection. 

On Saturday, an armed man was arrested at the venue after reportedly claiming he was law enforcement. Later, TPUSA said the man was part of a private advance security team for a known guest.