'I refused permission': Bengaluru cop on Ed Sheeran's street performance
What's the story
On Sunday, British pop superstar Ed Sheeran aimed to surprise Bengaluru fans with a street performance on Church Street but things didn't go as planned.
His act was cut short by local police for alleged lack of necessary permissions.
A video that has since gone viral shows a police officer approaching the singer mid-performance and unplugging his microphone.
While Sheeran maintained that he had permits, law enforcement has claimed otherwise.
Contradictory claims
'We had permission to busk, by the way'
The incident took place while Sheeran was performing his hit song Shape of You.
Sheeran's team maintained that they had received the required approvals for the short act.
The singer himself took to Instagram to clarify that it was a planned event and not an impromptu performance.
"We had permission to busk, by the way. Hence, us playing in that exact spot was planned out beforehand. It wasn't just us randomly turning up," he wrote on his Instagram Story.
Permission dispute
'I rejected (because)...Church Street becomes too congested'
DCP Central Bengaluru, Shekar T Tekkannanavar, however, told ANI that the performance was held without obtaining permissions.
"A member of the organizing team came to me seeking permission for the concert on Church Street. I clearly rejected it, saying that Church Street becomes too congested," he explained on Monday.
"As per the high court order, many evacuations have been done from the area, so we did not permit Ed Sheeran to perform."
Twitter Post
Read the DCP's quote here
Karnataka | On the incident where singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's Streetside performance was stopped by Police in Bengaluru, DCP Central Bengaluru Shekar T Tekkannanavar says, " A member among the event organisers came to meet me to seek permission for the Streetside performance… pic.twitter.com/5Bm5wKmCh2
— ANI (@ANI) February 10, 2025
Public reaction
Incident sparked debate on public performances in Bengaluru
The incident has sparked a debate on public performances in Bengaluru. Many social media users were disappointed with the police's action, especially after Sheeran clarified permissions were in place.
Some felt the intervention was unnecessary and could have been handled more politely, while others highlighted inconsistencies in law enforcement.
Criticism of police priorities was also evident, with users calling out their lack of sensitivity.
Tour details
Sheeran's ongoing India tour and additional Bengaluru concert
Sheeran is in India for his Mathematics Tour 2025, returning after his 2015 and 2017 performances.
The tour will see him perform at Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Shillong, and Delhi-NCR. Due to massive ticket demand, another concert date was announced for Bengaluru.
Did you manage to score a pass to his record-breaking tour?