Ed Sheeran Interrupted by Indian Police for Busking on Church Street in Bangalore

Ed Sheeran performed his hit single "Shape of You" on a crowded pavement in Bengaluru before his Sunday night concert. A viral video shows a police officer unplugging Sheeran’s microphone mid-performance, prompting the dismayed singer to put down his guitar and walk away as the crowd jeered. Police explained that permission for the performance had been denied due to heavy traffic concerns in the busy Church Street area. However, Sheeran later clarified on Instagram that he had prior permission to perform in that location, stating it was a planned event and not spontaneous.

Ed Sheeran is speaking out after police in India pulled the plug on his pop-up performance on Sunday because they said he had not received permission. The four-time Grammy winner was in between shows in the southern city of Bangalore when he decided to do some busking for fans and spectators on Church Street. A fan who caught the interaction shared a video to social media. Sheeran had a simple setup of a stand mic and an acoustic guitar. Midway through his performance of “Shape of You,” a policeman in a khaki uniform approached him and unplugged the microphone without warning.

Sheeran took to his Instagram story early Sunday morning to address the incident. "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 wrote, according to People. He continued, "All good though. See ya at the show tonight x." Sheeran later shared the moment the officer shut down his performance on his Instagram story, jokingly writing, "Think he prefers @brunomars." Sheeran is currently on the international leg of his Mathematics tour and performed on Saturday and Sunday at the NICE Grounds in the city of Bengaluru. A fan captured the incident on Feb. 9 and uploaded it to social media.