A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Charlie Kirk is set to take place in the US state of Arizona this weekend, with Donald Trump and other leading Republicans expected to be in attendance.

The service, due to be held at the 63,000-capacity State Farm Stadium near Phoenix, a multipurpose venue that is home to the Arizona Cardinals NFL team.

The event has required extensive preparations and been designated as a national special security event that will involve local, state and federal agencies working together.

It will come ten days after the 31-year-old Kirk was killed by a single bullet while he addressed a large crowd at Utah Valley University in the town of Orem.

A suspect, Tyler Robinson, remains in custody, and Kirk’s body was flown to his home state of Arizona last week on Air Force 2, accompanied by US Vice President JD Vance.

Tomorrow’s service has been organised by Turning Point USA, the organisation that was founded by Kirk in an effort to sway younger voters to the conservative cause, with the group saying the event will celebrate his “remarkable life and enduring legacy”.

The nature of Kirk’s killing and the tensions that have simmered across the US in the days since have imbued law enforcement agencies with a strong impetus to prevent any further security issues.

The ticketed event required members of the public to register for the service using their name, email, mobile phone and ZIP code.

A wide range of guest speakers will also have to be protected at a time when there are huge demands on the Secret Service – particularly given Trump’s return from a UK visit this week and the occurrence of the UN General Assembly in New York next week.

Among those already announced are Trump, Vance, Kirk’s widow Erika, secretary of state Marco Rubio, health secretary Robert F Kennedy, defence secretary Pete Hegseth,
national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr and political pundit and former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson.

Federal, local and state agencies have been monitoring and preparing in the area all week, with one US outlet reporting that the event would have “Super Bowl-level security” after the Department of Homeland Security designated it in a category requiring the highest level of detail.

The service is expected to begin at 7pm Irish time and will last a number of hours.