Celebrating Charlie Kirk’s Legacy at AmericaFest 2025
The conservative community is preparing to gather in Phoenix for Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest conference, which will serve as both a celebration of American values and a poignant tribute to the organization’s founder, Charlie Kirk, who was tragically assassinated in September at a Utah Valley University event. The four-day conference at the Phoenix Convention Center is expected to draw more than 30,000 attendees—the largest turnout in the event’s history—bringing together prominent figures from across the conservative movement. Vice President JD Vance will deliver the keynote address on Sunday, while Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, will headline the event, continuing her late husband’s mission of engaging young Americans in civic dialogue and political action.
“At AmericaFest 2025, we gather to honor Charlie’s legacy—to continue the mission he began and to celebrate the country he loved,” Turning Point USA stated in their promotional materials for the conference. This sentiment captures the dual purpose of this year’s event: to mourn a fallen leader while reinvigorating the movement he built. The organization has been grappling with the sudden loss of its charismatic founder, even publishing a tribute titled “31 Ways to Live Like Charlie Kirk” on what would have been his birthday. Despite the tragedy, Turning Point USA has remained committed to Kirk’s vision of creating spaces where conservative ideas can flourish among younger generations, particularly on college campuses where such viewpoints often face significant challenges.
For the thousands of college students attending, AmericaFest offers far more than inspirational speeches. The conference provides practical activism training, networking opportunities with over 100 conservative organizations, and workshops designed to equip the next generation of leaders with the tools they need to effectively advocate for their beliefs. This focus on practical engagement reflects Kirk’s own approach to political activism, which emphasized grassroots organizing and personal responsibility. As Riley Gaines noted on “Fox & Friends,” “Charlie changed the world not just by speaking, but by listening and by pointing a lost generation to faith and to eternal hope, which is in Christ.” This combination of political activism and spiritual guidance was central to Kirk’s appeal and remains a cornerstone of Turning Point USA’s mission.
The timing of this year’s conference is particularly significant, coming ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Organizers view AmericaFest as a crucial opportunity to energize young conservative voters—a demographic that has traditionally been difficult to mobilize but one that Kirk dedicated his career to reaching. By bringing together influential conservative voices like Donald Trump Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the conference aims to strengthen the conservative movement’s connection with younger Americans before they head to the polls next year. This electoral focus aligns with Kirk’s longstanding belief that conservative principles could resonate with young people if presented authentically and directly.
Even as Turning Point USA mourns its founder, the organization remains committed to Kirk’s philosophy of open dialogue across political differences. Erika Kirk emphasized this point on “Fox & Friends,” stating, “You have to counter bad ideas with good ideas. You have to have that debate and dialog.” This willingness to engage with opposing viewpoints rather than simply avoiding them distinguished Kirk’s approach to conservative activism and helped Turning Point USA grow into one of the most influential youth-oriented political organizations in America. The conference will honor this legacy by featuring discussions that tackle controversial topics head-on, challenging attendees to develop and articulate their own political philosophies rather than simply adopting partisan talking points.
Perhaps most movingly, AmericaFest 2025 represents a community coming together in the face of violence and tragedy to affirm that ideas and principles can survive even the loss of their most prominent advocate. While the assassination of Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves through conservative circles, his organization has responded by recommitting to the work he began rather than retreating from the public sphere. As thousands gather in Phoenix to celebrate faith, freedom, and Kirk’s legacy, they will be demonstrating that political movements can transcend the individuals who lead them, evolving and growing even as they honor the contributions of those who came before. In this way, AmericaFest stands as both a memorial to Charlie Kirk and a testament to the resilience of the movement he helped build—a movement that continues to shape American political discourse even in his absence.
