Turkish group Manifest make Wembley debut after turbulent year

Turkish girl group Manifest have played their first UK concert at Wembley Arena, less than a year after forming on a televised talent show and months after a court case over their stage performance in Istanbul.

The six members performed in London on 16 October, switching between Turkish and English and including covers of the Spice Girls, One Direction and the Pussycat Dolls. The BBC reports that the group now has more than six million monthly Spotify listeners and that their first English-language single, “TRALALA”, topped YouTube’s daily music video chart on its release. [3]

Manifest emerged from the Turkish reality competition Big5 Türkiye in February 2025. The group say they want to reach international audiences while keeping Turkish music and language at the centre of their work. “We want to reach a global audience with our Turkish songs actually, not with English ones,” member Zeynep Sude Oktay told the BBC. [3]

Their rapid rise has unfolded alongside a legal controversy in Turkey. Prosecutors opened an investigation after a September 2025 Istanbul concert, citing the group’s choreography and clothing. On 15 December, a court sentenced each of the six members to three months and 22 days in prison, but deferred announcement of the verdict; it also lifted a restriction that had barred them from travelling abroad. [Sources 1, 2]

The case drew criticism over artistic freedom. Turkish singer Ceylan Ertem described the investigation as “an open attack on women’s freedom and the performing arts”, the BBC reported. [3]

The band did not discuss the sentencing in its interview with the BBC. Instead, members spoke about inspiring young Turkish girls to sing and dance. At Wembley, fans gathered for the group’s first UK show, while one concertgoer told the BBC she hoped they would eventually be able to perform freely in Turkey. [3]