Police Confront Ed Sheeran, Shut Down Public Performance

Not even a four-time Grammy winner can perform without proper permits in India, as Ed Sheeran discovered during an attempted surprise street performance in Bengaluru on Sunday. The 33-year-old singer’s impromptu rendition of “Shape of You” was cut short when local police intervened, unplugging his microphone mid-song while fans jeered at the interruption.

Footage captured by onlookers shows Sheeran, dressed casually in green shorts and a white t-shirt with sunglasses, performing with just a microphone and acoustic guitar against a mural-painted wall on Church Street. While fans sang along off-camera, the scene quickly changed when a uniformed officer approached and bent down to disconnect the audio equipment, despite attempts by two bystanders to intervene. Sheeran smiled and shrugged in defeat when his mic was cut.

“We have permission to be here, but this policeman is shutting us down,” Sheeran told the disappointed crowd before adding, “But we’ll see you later.” Local authorities, however, disputed the singer’s claim. “I refused to give permission because Church Street gets very crowded,” Shekar Tekkannanavar, police deputy commissioner for central Bengaluru, told ANI news agency. “That is the reason he was asked to vacate the place.”

Sheeran later defended the performance on Instagram Stories, writing, “We had permission to busk btw, hence us playing in that exact spot, was planned out before, it wasn’t just us randomly turning up.” He assured fans it was “all good” and added, “See ya at the show tonight x.”

The incident occurred during Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour stop in Bengaluru, where he was scheduled to perform at NICE Grounds on Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, Feb. 9. The street performance interruption sparked debate on social media, with PC Mohan, a local MP from the ruling BJP party, declaring on X: “Even global stars must follow local rules – no permit, no performance!” Meanwhile, some fans celebrated the rare encounter, with one spectator writing on X, “Went for a casual walk on Church Street and stumbled upon Ed Sheeran performing live. What a city!”

Despite the setback, Sheeran has been making the most of his time in India, sharing various experiences on social media. In a Feb. 7 post, he documented his first sitar lesson with Megha Rawoot, whom he described as “a great teacher,” even performing “Shape of You” on the traditional instrument. He also spent time in the recording studio with Grammy-winning composer A.R. Rahman, known for scoring Slumdog Millionaire.

The India concerts follow his historic performance in Bhutan, where he remarked, “It’s mad that this is the first international concert here,” adding, “I hope that there’s many more to come.” The Mathematics Tour continues with upcoming shows in Shillong and Delhi.