Zara Larsson electrified the audience on Saturday during her highly anticipated headline performance at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland. The 28-year-old singer brought a burst of summer energy to the main stage at Herrington Country Park, delivering powerful renditions of tracks from her latest album, Midnight Sun.
Y2K Fashion and Dazzling Makeup
The Swedish star embraced her signature Y2K maximalist style, wearing a bedazzled tube top over a neon yellow bikini top that highlighted her enviable figure. She ensured all eyes were on her long legs, adding sparkly fishnet tights and high heels beneath a daringly short ruffled miniskirt. As always, Zara sported her trademark vibrant and crystal-heavy makeup, combining blue and pink eyeshadow with purple face gems and a glittering ombre lip.
High-Energy Performance with Choreography
The hitmaker was joined on stage by a team of talented backing dancers, performing slickly choreographed routines that included her being lifted into the air mid-song. She performed fan favorites such as Stateside, Ain't My Fault, and her 2017 Clean Bandit collaboration Symphony. Continuing her viral tradition, she invited a lucky fan onstage to join her for the Lush Life dance.
Ending the high-octane show, Zara declared to the packed audience: "Summer isn't over... summer has just started." Although this was her fourth time performing at Big Weekend, it marked her first headlining slot at a major European festival, according to BBC Radio 1.
Musical Comeback and Resilience
After first rising to fame with Lush Life in 2016, Zara has made a remarkable musical comeback this year, returning to the top of the charts with her fifth studio album released in September 2025. She reclaimed her stardom despite past criticism over her feud with Chris Brown and controversy surrounding her comments about abortion. Rather than regret her so-called 'flop era,' she says it taught her resilience and made her unfazed by industry ups and downs.
"I've already had success and then my flop era. And then it's like, 'Okay, I flopped.' So, it doesn't scare me anymore," Zara said this month. She added to ABC News: "I think, looking back, I just felt like I didn't know what I wanted to do. The project didn't start from here (gestures to inside). I just kept looking outside of myself. Like, 'what do people want me to do, what do they like?'" She emphasized that her love for singing and music runs deep in her DNA.
Activism and Controversies
The pop singer has long championed left-wing causes and been a vocal supporter of women's rights, the LGBTQ+ community, and immigrants. Earlier this year, Zara revealed she lost a massive $3 million brand deal after making a joke about abortion on TikTok, but insisted she had no regrets. A fan had shared a video from one of her concerts with the caption: "I didn't know I was pregnant here but at least my baby got to hear 'Midnight Sun' before I aborted it." Zara replied jokingly: "I killed the performance and then you killed it after the performance purrrrrr." The joke drew backlash from anti-abortion groups, causing a brand to back out of a multimillion-dollar deal. However, she stood by the joke, calling it "very funny" and stating she wouldn't want to partner with a brand that wasn't pro-choice.
In a candid video, Zara said: "I mean just lately, the abortion joke, which is very funny by the way, I lost a $3 million deal which is like what the f***. If you don't agree with me thinking women should have access to abortion or that we can have a joking conversation about it then we are not meant to be partners. I don't give a f*** about it." She also criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the killing of mother-of-three Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, which sparked global outrage. Zara declared her love for immigrants, trans people, and socialism in a passionate social media post, calling ICE agents "hateful criminals." She questioned what went wrong with the agency, suggesting agents have been "groomed by white supremacy and toxic masculinity." She added: "I f***ing hate ICE."
Feud with Chris Brown
Zara has also drawn ire from Chris Brown after stating she would never listen to his music due to multiple assault accusations, including his 2009 felony assault charge for beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna. She told Cosmopolitan in February: "There's so many artists I have blocked on Spotify, and all of them are, like, abusers. You certainly wouldn't find a Chris Brown song. Bye!" Her comments appeared to hit a sore spot with Chris, who launched a furious tirade after his new album received poor reviews. He vowed to "keep on putting my foot on their necks" and told followers: "Go listen to motherf***ing Zara Larsson or somebody."
