Bengaluru street performance: Ed Sheeran offers clarification, says he sought necessary permission

Global pop sensation Ed Sheeran has come out with a clarification regarding the incident in Bengaluru, which created a public furore on Sunday. A video of the Bengaluru police stopping Ed Sheeran's impromptu street performance midway had gone viral and the police claimed they had to intervene as they had not received prior permission for the performance.

However, Ed has shared his reaction to the incident, stating that the necessary permissions for the performance were in place. Taking to the Stories section of his Instagram, he wrote, "We had permission to busk, btw, hence us playing in that exact spot-it was planned out before. It wasn't just us randomly turning up. All good though. See ya at the show tonight x."

Ed Sheeran arrived opposite the MG Road Metro station on Church Street, where two microphones and a guitar had been set up for the performance. According to a video circulating on social media, as the singer started performing an unplugged version of his popular track 'Shape of You', a police officer arrived and disconnected the speakers, stopping his performance. As per IANS, the police had also received a complaint of public nuisance against the singer. The video gained significant traction online. One Reddit user commented, "Hahaha. One of those ‘Only in India’ moments." Another shared, "It’s just very embarrassing." While some criticised the police for stopping the singer, others argued that they were simply doing their job. Ed Sheeran will be performing a concert today, February 9, 2025, at Bengaluru's NICE Grounds.

This marks the first time the singer has performed in Bengaluru. After completing the Bengaluru leg of his tour, Sheeran will perform at Shillong's JN Stadium on February 12. His final stop will be on February 15 at Leisure Valley Grounds, Gurugram.