Ed Sheeran Claims He Had Approval to Busk After Police Interruption During His Performance
Ed Sheeran claims he had authorization to busk in India after police interrupted his street performance in the country.Social media footage of the acclaimed singer-songwriter shows him in Bengaluru, previously known as Bangalore, strumming his guitar and singing on Church Street when an officer intervened and unplugged his microphone.
In an Instagram story, Sheeran stated: “We had permission to busk, btw (by the way). Therefore, our performance in that specific spot was pre-arranged. It wasn’t just us showing up spontaneously. All good though. See you at the show tonight.”
His tour had halted in the southwestern Indian city, where he performed two shows at the NICE grounds venue on Saturday and Sunday before heading to Shillong in northeast India on Wednesday, and Gurugram near Delhi over the weekend.
Sahil Kaling, who recorded the video of Sheeran, expressed he was “a bit disappointed when police halted him.”
Mr. Kaling, who resides in Bengaluru, remarked: “They should have allowed him to finish at least one song.”
He noted he witnessed Sheeran beginning to perform his hit song “Shape Of You” before being stopped by the officer and prevented from continuing.
Mr. Kaling shared he had “joked” earlier with a friend about catching Sheeran that day before encountering the superstar.
He added: “We decided to stroll down Church Street and just before entering (Mahatma Gandhi) MG Road metro station, we spotted him getting out of a car.
“We couldn’t believe we had the opportunity to see him perform up close. It was surreal.”
Ed Sheeran seems like such an amazing guy
he was street busking in Bangalore and the police came and unplugged him pic.twitter.com/khWD9BACC9
— Sheel Mohnot (@pitdesi) February 9, 2025
Sheeran began his journey busking and playing at small local venues before transforming into a globally recognized, multi-award-winning star, frequently busking in various cities.
The singer-songwriter has been seen busking in the London Underground, as well as in Brooklyn, New York, and has performed surprise concerts in his hometown of Ipswich.
His latest show in India also featured Indian singer Shilpa Rao joining him on stage to sing in a local language.
