Image source, Reuters

US President Donald Trump and many of his top officials have just joined tens of thousands of people gathered at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for a memorial service commemorating Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist shot dead earlier this month.

Here are some of the highlights from the event:

• President Trump, vice president JD Vance and Charlie Kirk's widow Erika Kirk all spoke at the service
• Trump hailed Kirk as a "giant of his generation" and said America is "a nation in shock and mourning", while Vice-President JD Vance said he "changed the course of history"

• Erika Kirk gave an emotional and deeply religious speech, where she called for people to "choose Christ" and take up her husband's mission
• She also tearfully declared that she had forgiven the man who shot her husband, which was greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd
• Separately, Trump also shook hands with Elon Musk as he watched some of the service - marking the first time they are seen together publicly since a falling out earlier this year
• The event took place under tight security, with Trump and the other speakers addressing the crowd from behind a glass panel

We're pausing our live coverage shortly, but you can watch the biggest moments from Kirk's memorial service here, or read more on the story here.

Tens of thousands of Americans gathered at State Farm Stadium in Arizona to attend the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The BBC has been speaking to them and asking how they were feeling following his death, and what it might mean for the country at large. Have a watch:

Image source, Reuters

One of the recurring themes throughout Charlie Kirk's memorial is the influence of his Christian faith.

Quoting passages from the Bible, Erika Kirk said her late husband would show "love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us".

She added that her husband would "forgive" his alleged shooter.

Utah prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the alleged assassin Tyler Robinson, who has been charged with aggravated murder.

Following a religious service and Erika Kirk's speech, Trump told the crowd: "Charlie would have been so proud to hear people today giving glory to god."

"We need to bring back religion to America, we want to bring God back into our beautiful USA like never before," he said.

Speaking to BBC shortly after the memorial, Marco Rubio's former chief of staff says Erika Kirk is an excellent choice as CEO for Turning Point USA.

Her speech was "spot on", says Matt Terrill, adding that the movement "is not over".

"This movement only gets stronger," Terrill says, noting that Turning Point's mission would be to "restore traditional American values like patriotism, respect for life, liberty, family, and fiscal responsibility".

Image source, Reuters

Erika Kirk is a businesswoman and former Miss Arizona USA winner who met Charlie Kirk in 2018. The couple married in 2021.

Erika, who has been studying for a doctorate in Bible studies, has launched a Bible ministry programme and hosts the Midweek Rise Up podcast, which focuses on Biblical leadership.

She is now CEO of Turning Point USA, the platform co-founded by her late husband.

The Kirks have got a one-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter.

Speakers call this the moment for real revival of conservatism in USpublished at 00:44 BST 22 September

00:44 BST 22 September

Sarah Smith
North America editor, at the memorial

Many of the biggest stars of the Maga universe have been speaking at this event.

A lot of the speakers have been saying they honour Charlie Kirk by carrying on his work.

Interestingly, many of them have said they think this is the moment for a real revival of conservatism in America.

So even though Donald Trump is already president and controls Congress, they believe it is the murder of Kirk that will create a rebirth of their movement and propel their right-wing views into ascendancy in American politics.

Image source, Reuters

As the president finishes his address, he calls Charlie Kirk's wife Erika back to the stage, where she greets him with a hug.

The pair hold hands and wave to the crowd, before leaving the stage.

The president calls out people who he says greeted the announcement of Charlie Kirk's death with "sick approval, excuses or even jubilation".

"They are major losers," says Trump.

He says those commentators are the same who have "been calling fascism" over the suspension of late night television host Jimmy Kimmel.

The president echoes his previous comments on Kimmel, telling crowds at the memorial that he has "no talent, no ratings".

Angelica Casas
Reporting from the State Farm Stadium

Image source, Reuters

Parts of the crowd are leaving the stadium as Trump is speaking, and some sections are starting to empty.

The traffic surrounding the arena was gridlocked in the morning and some people may be looking to avoid the rush.

Trump has sung the praises of Charlie Kirk throughout his address, telling crowds that he was "our greatest evangelist for American liberty".

"None of us will ever forget Charlie Kirk, and neither now will history," he says.

Image source, Reuters

Trump says Kirk didn't hate his opponents and wanted the best for them.

"That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent. And I don't want the best for them," Trump says to laughs and cheers.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry Erika," he says, referencing Charlie's wife who spoke before him.

He jokes that Charlie is angry at him for saying that.

The president says Charlie Kirk was responsible for uniting Maga and Maha - which stands for "Make America Healthy Again".

"Tomorrow we are going to have one of the biggest medical announcements in the history of our country," says Trump.

"I think we've found the answer to autism."

The president has been heavily promoting the upcoming announcement, most recently in remarks at an event at the American Cornerstone Institute.

Experts have cautioned that finding the causes of autism spectrum disorder - a complex syndrome that has been studied for decades - will not be straightforward, and called some previous efforts by the Trump administration misguided and unrealistic.

Trump notes Kirk was from a suburb of Chicago, and tells the crowd that one of the last things Kirk said to him was "please sir, save Chicago".

"We're going to do that, we're going to save Chicago from horrible crime," Trump says.

It comes after speculation that Trump would send the National Guard to the city as he has done with Washington DC.

Image source, Reuters

The president tells the crowd that Kirk was "violently killed" because he spoke for freedom and justice.

"He was assassinated because he lived bravely, he lived boldly and he argued brilliantly," Trump says.

Addressing the packed stadium, Trump says that "Charlie could always draw a crowd".

Trump begins by saying: "Today America is a nation in grief, a nation in shock and a nation in mourning."

He says Kirk was "heinously murdered by a radicalised cold-blooded monster for speaking the truth that was in his heart".

Erika Kirk has finished speaking. President Trump now enters the stage to Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA.

We'll have updates throughout, or you can follow along by pressing watch live at the top of this page.

Image source, Reuters

Erika Kirk has just come on to the stage to a huge round of applause.

She looks emotional as she starts speaking.

"God bless all of you for coming here from all over the world to honour and celebrate my Charlie," she begins.

"Eleven days ago God accepted that total surrender from my husband and then called him to his side," she tells the crowd.

More than anything, she says, Charlie wanted to do God's will.

Erika Kirk speaks about the response to Charlie Kirk's assassination, saying there were no riots.

Instead, "we saw revival," she says, urging Christians in the crowd to continue evangelising.

Vice President JD Vance has just finished speaking - he described Kirk as having built a movement that has "changed the course of American history".

"They tried to silence my friend Charlie Kirk," he says, but adds that at this memorial they're now spreading his message loudly.

He talks about the importance of religious faith to Kirk and his message, and goes on to say, "America was his home and he was willing to die for it".

The Trump administration is present at the memorial not just because of their relationship with Kirk, but because "we wouldn't be here without him", Vance says.

In the wake of Kirk's death, Vance says he has "seen some of the very worst parts of humanity", saying he has seen people celebrate the attack.

He says that has made him angry, and that he thinks Kirk would encourage him to be honest that "evil still walks among us", but that he also believes Kirk would encourage people to "focus on the good" and pray for both friends and enemies.

As we've been reporting, Kirk's memorial has brought Trump and Elon Musk together, months after the pair had a public fallout.

But how did the world's most powerful president and the world's richest person end their once inseparable relationship?

The feud came to focus in the spring after Musk publicly criticised the "One Big Beautiful" bill, which he described as a "disgusting abomination", posting: "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong."

He argued the bill would increase the national deficit, but Trump defended it, saying it cut taxes for many.

The bill was passed by Congress and signed into law in July.

Musk said that without him, Trump would not have won back the White House, and Trump threatened to cancel the federal contracts held by Musk's companies.

Musk later said he regrets some of his comments about Trump, but the relationship between the two men has been on ice since those days of spring.

Read more of our coverage here:

• How bitter Trump-Musk feud escalated - and what happens next
• Elon Musk says he regrets some posts about Donald Trump