Police in India stop Ed Sheeran busking on street before concert | Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran was stopped by police from busking in India after he was told he lacked permissions.

The songwriter was seen singing the hit single Shape of You and playing his guitar on a pavement in the southern city of Bengaluru before his concert on Sunday night.

In a video from local channels that has since gone viral, a police officer walks up to Sheeran while he is singing with the crowd and unplugs the microphone, as onlookers jeer. A dismayed Sheeran leaves soon after.

Police said event organisers had been refused permission for the street performance, which was on Church Street, one of the busiest areas in one of India’s largest cities.

“I refused to give permission because Church Street gets very crowded. That is the reason he was asked to vacate the place,” Bengaluru police official Shekar T Tekkannanavar told news agency ANI.

Sheeran, who began his career as a busker in the UK and is known for performing in unexpected places, insisted later on his Instagram account that he did have permission to perform.

“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. All good though,” he wrote.

Sheeran is in India for a 15-day leg of his The Mathematics tour, and performed in front of thousands of people at an open ground in Bengaluru later that night, accompanied by Indian singer Shilpa Rao. Sheeran surprised fans by singing two hit local songs in the local Telugu language with Rao on stage.

Fans shared their disappointment at the police decision on social media, however. PC Mohan, a local MP from the ruling BJP party, posted on X that the impromptu gig had taken on a “sour note” when police arrived, adding that “even global stars must follow local rules – no permit, no performance!”

India is increasingly on the touring map for the world’s biggest stars, with demand for live music increasing as disposable incomes grow in the country. Sheeran’s biggest-ever tour of the country follows closely behind Dua Lipa’s recent performance in Mumbai and Coldplay’s multi-city tour.

Last year, Sheeran launched his own PA system designed for buskers.

The Sheeran Busker “provides pristine audio and convenient portability for on-the-go performers across all genres, skill levels, and professional pedigrees”, according to the website for his “Sheeran Looper” band. It has 20 hours of battery life, or 24 in an Eco Mode.