Bengaluru: Bengaluru police interrupted British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s impromptu street performance on Church Street on Sunday, leading to widespread online discussions. The artist, who is currently on his India tour, clarified hours later, asserting that his team had obtained prior approval for the performance.

Sheeran began performing his popular song Shape of You when the police intervened, cutting the performance short. A viral video of the incident shows the police quickly disconnecting the cables, halting the performance within a minute.

Clarification from police

Shekar T Tekkannanavar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Central Bengaluru, addressed the incident. Tekkannanavar explained, “A member among the event organisers came to meet me to seek permission for the Streetside performance at Church Street. I refused to give permission because Church Street gets very crowded. That is the reason he was asked to vacate the place.”

Sheeran responds 

Hours after the incident, Sheeran took to Instagram to explain the situation. In an Instagram story, he confirmed that his team had received permission to perform in the area. “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. See you at the show tonight x,” Sheeran reassured his fans.

Ed Sheeran’s India tour

Sheeran, who performed in Bengaluru on Sunday, has already held concerts in Hyderabad and Chennai. During his Chennai performance, Sheeran was joined on stage by legendary composer AR Rahman for a rendition of the iconic Urvashi. Prior to the concert, Sheeran also met Rahman and his son, AR Ameen, sharing moments on social media.

The singer will perform in Shillong and Delhi NCR in the coming days.