The group included young people who have experienced cancer, some of whom only recently completed treatment, including participants from Larsson’s home country, as well as Hungary.
Despite having just stepped off the Main Stage, the singer told the group she did not feel particularly tired, saying she had really enjoyed performing at Sziget and felt energized after the show.
She took time to chat with each young person, listened to their stories, posed for photos and gave hugs. For some participants, the meeting became an emotional moment, with several young people moved to tears.
Participants described the Swedish star as genuine, kind and generous with her time. Several spoke about her positive energy and how naturally she connected with everyone she met. Young women said she inspires them to be confident and proud of who they are, while others highlighted her advocacy for women’s rights and her message of self-acceptance.
One participant described meeting Zara as “like talking to a fellow advocate,” while another said that behind the international pop star they found “a kind human being.”
Lived Experience
The meeting took place in the context of the European Youth Cancer Network (Yarn) gathering in Budapest, which brings together 82 young people with lived experience of cancer from 30 European countries. Throughout this week, participants are also hosting a stand at Impact Island (Civil Sziget), raising awareness of the realities of cancer at a young age.
Yarn is an EU co-funded initiative and the largest multi-stakeholder, lived experience-driven effort of its kind in Europe, working to improve the quality of life for children, adolescents and young adults affected by cancer.
Coordinated by Youth Cancer Europe’s Hungarian founder Katie Rizvi, it brings together young people with lived cancer experience, healthcare professionals, psychosocial care specialists, policy-makers, researchers and patient organizations from 25 EU Member States and three neighboring countries. At its core is the Youth Cancer Council, a pan-European advisory group of 100 young people with lived cancer experience who help shape decisions across the project, alongside the ACE Academy, Yarn’s advocacy training program.
More information about Yarn is available at the Youth Cancer Europe website.
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