The memorial service for Charlie Kirk on September 21, 2025, was an event that blended the scale of a political rally with the emotion of a religious revival. Held at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, just 11 days after Kirk’s assassination, the gathering became a massive, live-streamed spectacle that captured the attention of the nation. The sheer size of the crowd, both in-person and online, immediately sparked questions about just how many people were drawn to this historic event, with figures ranging from official tallies to staggering internal claims.
The service was designed for magnitude from the start. Organizers chose a stadium that is home to an NFL team, anticipating a turnout that would require Super Bowl-level security preparations. Attendees were encouraged to wear patriotic colors instead of traditional funeral black, setting a tone of celebration and defiance. The event featured a lineup of powerful speakers, including former President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, alongside musical performances that created an atmosphere more akin to a revival than a funeral. This setup primed the event to become a major media moment, one that would be measured in both the physical crowd it attracted and the digital audience it reached across the globe.
A Massive In-Person Gathering
Pinpointing the exact number of people who attended the memorial in person depends on which source you consult. The most frequently cited figure, reported by major outlets like Fox News and used on the event’s Wikipedia page, comes directly from Charlie Kirk’s own organization, Turning Point USA (TPUSA). They reported that approximately 90,000 to 100,000 people gathered to pay their respects. This figure breaks down to roughly 70,000 filling the State Farm Stadium to capacity, another 10,000 at an overflow venue in the nearby Desert Diamond Arena, and an additional 10,000 watching from other designated areas nearby.
Thousands of people have already arrived to Charlie Kirk’s public memorial service and funeral, which will occur on Sunday, September 21.
Security for Sunday’s event at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., has been designated the level reserved for Super Bowls, with President… pic.twitter.com/KftCZDu7Wb
— OK! Magazine USA (@OKMagazine) September 22, 2025
However, other reports suggest the crowd was even larger. The New York Post and initial law enforcement estimates placed the number of people who turned out at around 200,000. Regardless of which figure is most accurate, the scale was undeniably historic. The service is considered one of the largest public gatherings ever for a private citizen, drawing comparisons to the funeral processions of cultural icons like Elvis Presley. The massive turnout, achieved with just days of planning, underscored Kirk’s profound impact on his supporters and the conservative movement as a whole.
A Global Online Audience and TV Reach
When it comes to the number of people who watched the memorial remotely, the numbers become even more impressive, though also more difficult to pin down with precision. The event was not just a local gathering but a global media event, broadcast and streamed across countless platforms.
On the official side, individual streams attracted millions of viewers. The Charlie Kirk YouTube channel alone saw 6.62 million views, while his X account had 3.3 million impressions. Major news outlets like Fox News and the Associated Press also drew millions more to their live streams on YouTube. These numbers, totaling over 13 million views from just a few tracked sources, led some analysts to conservatively estimate the total online viewership likely landed between 25 and 30 million people once all streams on platforms like YouTube, X, Facebook, and Twitch were accounted for.
If you watch one thing today, let it be this — the truly remarkable display of grace and compassion from Mrs. Erika Kirk as she forgives her husband’s assassin because that’s what Christ would do.
We love you, Erika. pic.twitter.com/EsSUgeJx1F
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 21, 2025
However, the most eye-catching claim came from within TPUSA. Andrew Kolvet, an executive producer for The Charlie Kirk Show, stated that the organization’s production and streaming partners tracked over 100 million overall streams for the tribute. While this number is difficult to verify independently, it points to the immense, fragmented nature of online viewership in the modern media landscape. If accurate, it would place the memorial’s audience in the same realm as a Super Bowl.
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As for traditional television viewership, concrete Nielsen ratings were not immediately available as of September 22nd. However, the service was broadcast across every major U.S. television network, according to the White House. A strong TV audience was expected, given that cable news networks like Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN had seen a significant spike in ratings—a collective 65-72% increase—during their coverage of Kirk’s assassination just days earlier. It’s clear that, whether on phones, computers, or television screens, Charlie Kirk’s memorial service became a defining media event of the year, cementing his status as a martyr for his supporters and a figure of immense influence in death.
