Bengaluru: British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s impromptu street performance on Church Street was abruptly halted by Bengaluru police , stirring a wave of discussions online.
The Grammy-winning artist, who is currently on tour in India, had just begun performing his chart-topping hit Shape of You when police officers intervened and cut off the sound, bringing the performance to an immediate stop. The incident was widely shared on social media, with videos capturing the moment Sheeran’s set was interrupted.
Speaking on the matter, Shekar T. Tekkannanavar, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Central Bengaluru, clarified that the necessary permission had not been granted for the performance. “A member of the event organizers came to seek permission for the street performance at Church Street. Due to heavy traffic in the area, I denied authorization. He was asked to leave the location for that reason,” Tekkannanavar stated.
However, Sheeran quickly addressed the situation through his Instagram story, asserting that his team had, in fact, obtained prior approval for the performance. “By the way, we had authorization to busk. Our performance at that precise location was prearranged. We weren’t simply showing up at random. But everything is OK. See you at the show tonight x,” the singer wrote.
Sheeran, who has been touring India, performed in Bengaluru on Sunday after earlier concerts in Chennai and Hyderabad. His Chennai show was particularly memorable as he was joined on stage by celebrated composer AR Rahman, with whom he performed a rendition of the iconic track Urvashi.
Prior to the concert, Sheeran also met Rahman and his son, AR Ameen. A series of pictures from their meeting, taken by Sheeran himself, were shared on Rahman’s Instagram account with the caption, “Photos by Ed Sheeran.”
The singer is scheduled to perform in Delhi NCR and Shillong in the coming days, continuing his much-anticipated India tour.
