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A few weeks after their initial appearance on a boat, I meet the group once more at Wembley Arena as they prepare for their inaugural UK concert scheduled for the next evening. Surrounded by the elaborate stage setup, featuring massive LED screens and the band’s emblem, the six members meticulously rehearse their synchronized dance routines alongside their backup dancers. The ensemble includes main vocalist Sueda Uluca, lead vocalist Lidya Pınar, sub-vocalists Mina Solak and Zeynep Sude Oktay (who also serves as the main rapper), lead dancer Hilal Yelekçi, and main dancer Esin Bahat. For them, the Wembley show marks just the start of their aspirations.
“After Wembley, we’ll manifest Coachella and other big stages,” shares Hilal Yelekçi, cleverly referencing the group’s name. Manifest came into existence in February of the previous year through the Turkish reality talent show Big5 Türkiye, which spanned several months as contestants vied for a spot in the band. Guided by distinguished Turkish pop figures, including Gülçin Ergül—a former member of the girl group Hepsi and a judge on the show—the group’s ascent has been swift. To date, they boast over six million monthly listeners on Spotify.
During their time in London, manifest released their first single in English, TRALALA, which quickly rose to the top of YouTube’s daily music video chart, surpassing clips from international artists like Shakira and Taylor Swift. Their music video for this track was the first produced outside Turkey, filmed in East London with a predominantly British crew. Lidya Pınar reflects on the experience: “Getting out from that safe zone was a bit stressful for us.” Despite their ambitions to perform on stages in Britain and the United States, the members remain committed to preserving their Turkish identity. “We want to reach a global audience with our Turkish songs actually, not with English ones,” explains Sude Oktay. “We want to teach people to sing in Turkish.”
Influenced by both Turkish group Hepsi and the Spice Girls, manifest embraces their inspirations openly. Pınar humorously says, “My favourite Spice Girl is Baby Spice. Because of the pink. I’m pink and blonde, so it’s obvious.” Their rising profile has also given them the opportunity to meet global superstar Dua Lipa, who visited them backstage at the Sunny Hill Festival in Kosovo this July. “She came to our backstage and said a lot of great things,” a member recalls. “We really love her, her songs, her stage presence.”
On concert day, a vibrant atmosphere filled the area outside Wembley Arena as fans adorned with manifest-branded headbands and carrying colorful banners gathered in anticipation. The audience mainly consisted of Turkish women in their 20s and 30s, many dressed in colors associated with the group. Two attendees, Elif, 31, and Zeynep, 25, both Turkish expatriates living in London, reflected on the band’s journey over the past year. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a girl band performing there,” Zeynep remarked. “I think I was seven when Hepsi were last together. It’s maybe a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Notably, Turkish pop star Tarkan had previously performed at Wembley Arena back in 2008.
Elif shared a more profound perspective on the event. “We are going through difficult times back home. It means girl power and empowerment, and just having fun and being together,” she said. “I feel like back home people came together to support them and criticize the treatment that they were receiving from the government.” Meanwhile, Zeynep hopes the band will someday perform freely within Turkey. “It’s great to see them here, but I hope one day they will be back in Turkey and they’ll be able to do whatever they want without getting persecuted for it,” she concluded
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