Indian police shut down Ed Sheeran's street concert mid-performance over lack of permit

Ed Sheeran, centre, had his microphone disconnected by police as he played on the street in Bengaluru. (Supplied: X)

Pop megastar Ed Sheeran has denied he unlawfully serenaded the Indian public after police said he lacked the necessary permission to play on the street and abruptly terminated his performance.

The British singer-songwriter and four-time Grammy winner is touring the world's most populous country, but took time out between concerts to busk to a surprised crowd in tech hub Bengaluru on Sunday.

Videos shared on social media show a police officer disconnecting his microphone midway through a rendition of his hit Shape of You on Church Street, a bustling retail hub.

Local authorities said that while Mr Sheeran had a permit to play at concerts, that did not extend to impromptu outdoor performances.

"He is a very famous singer and naturally there will be chaos. To prevent that, police had not given him permission," Karnataka's home minister G Parameshwara said on Monday.

"In spite of that, he has come and tried to perform, so police prevented him. Nothing beyond that."

Mr Sheeran denied he had broken the law, saying he had been granted permission to busk "in that exact spot".

"It wasn't just us randomly turning up," he wrote on an Instagram story shortly after the incident, adding that it was "all good though".

Social media users were critical of the police yanking out Mr Sheeran's microphone cables mid-song, with one calling it "abysmal and embarrassing".

Another criticised Indian police for failing to effectively prosecute crimes against women, but Sheeran "singing on the street is where they draw the line".

Mr Sheeran is currently on a six-city tour of India, and also had a sold-out performance in Mumbai last year.

Booming demand from young affluent Indians looking to splurge on new entertainment experiences is drawing international acts to play in the country.

British rock band Coldplay performed what it called its "biggest-ever show" at a massive cricket stadium in the western city of Ahmedabad in January.

AFP

First published at ABC News, February 11, 2025