Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest conference kicks off Thursday at the Phoenix Convention Center, marking the organization’s first major event since the tragic assassination of its founder, Charlie Kirk, in September 2025. Expected to draw a record-breaking crowd of over 30,000 attendees, the four-day gathering is being billed as a powerful tribute to Kirk’s life, legacy, and unwavering commitment to conservative values, faith, and freedom.
Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at age 18, built the group into a powerhouse for mobilizing young conservatives. He was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Authorities charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder, alleging he acted alone after telling a romantic partner he “had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred.” Robinson has not entered a plea, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
In the months since, Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has stepped into a leadership role as the organization’s new CEO and chairwoman. A former Miss Arizona USA (2012), entrepreneur, podcaster, and mother of two young children, Erika has vowed to carry forward her husband’s mission. “His passion was my passion, and now his mission is my mission,” she said at a memorial event. “Everything that Turning Point USA built through Charlie’s vision and hard work, we will make 10 times greater through the power of his memory.”
This year’s AmericaFest promises high-energy production reminiscent of rock concerts or megachurch services, complete with pyrotechnics, live music from Christian rock bands, and sessions on political organizing, religion, and cultural issues. Attendees—many of them college and high school students—will hear from top conservative figures and receive activism training.
Highlights include Vice President JD Vance as the keynote speaker on Sunday, along with appearances by Donald Trump Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Steve Bannon, Ben Shapiro, Jack Posobiec, and Riley Gaines. Erika Kirk will also take a prominent stage role.
Organizers say the event aims to energize young voters ahead of the 2026 midterms, building on Turning Point’s success in boosting Republican turnout among youth during recent elections. “At AmericaFest 2025, we gather to honor Charlie’s legacy—to continue the mission he began and to celebrate the country he loved,” the organization stated.
Yet the conference unfolds against a backdrop of internal tensions within the broader conservative movement. Kirk’s death has exposed fractures over issues like U.S. support for Israel, antisemitism in conservative circles, and the direction of “America First” policies. Some speakers, including Carlson and Shapiro, have publicly clashed in recent weeks.
Adding to the challenges, former Turning Point employee Candace Owens has promoted unsubstantiated conspiracy theories suggesting involvement beyond the lone suspect or a cover-up. Erika Kirk has sharply criticized such claims, calling them harmful to her family and the legal process. A brief meeting between the two women earlier this month yielded a temporary truce, but doubts persist.
Despite these divisions, speakers and attendees emphasize unity and resilience. “Charlie was the unifying figure for the movement,” commentator Michael Knowles has said, warning against fragmentation. Erika Kirk has stressed the importance of dialogue: “You have to counter bad ideas with good ideas… You have to have that debate and dialogue.”
As thousands converge in Phoenix, AmericaFest stands as both a celebration of Kirk’s impact—turning a generation toward conservatism and faith—and a test of Turning Point USA’s future under new leadership. For many young conservatives, it’s a chance to recommit to the cause Kirk championed, ensuring his vision endures.