Ed Sheeran, famous for his hit songs and energetic stage shows, was suddenly halted mid-performance while giving an unplanned street show in Bengaluru on February 9, 2024. The unplanned performance, which was held on the city’s crowded Church Street, was cut short when a local police inspector pulled the plug on Sheeran’s microphone for causing public inconvenience and without permission. The action triggered the ire of fans, fueling a controversy about freedom of creativity and regulation of public spaces in India.
Part of his current Tour, Sheeran swept Bengaluru’s bustling Church Street, performing for onlookers an intimate, acoustic version of his international hit “Shape of You.” The street, famous for its nightlife and cultural vibrancy, soon became an ad hoc concert ground as a throng of people started congregating to watch the surprise performance.
But just as the performance was getting into full swing, a police officer stepped in and cut off Sheeran’s microphone, effectively shutting down the show. In a video that was taken and rapidly went viral, the singer is heard speaking to the shocked crowd, telling them, “We have permission to be here, but this policeman is shutting it down.” The audience, clearly annoyed, broke out into boos as the officer stood his ground.
After the incident, the Bengaluru police issued a statement justifying their action. Officials said Sheeran’s team was denied permission citing issues with crowd management and disruption in the congested commercial area.
“Though we appreciate artists and their followers, we cannot compromise public safety and congestion in busy areas such as Church Street,” said a police spokesperson. “There was no official permission given for a public performance at that place.”
However, Sheeran took to Instagram to set the record straight, insisting that his team had obtained the necessary approvals. “We had permission to busk, by the way. Hence, us playing in that exact spot was planned out before. It wasn’t just us randomly turning up. All good though. See you at the show tonight!” Sheeran wrote in his post.
The police action initiated a storm of response on social media, with numerous fans condemning what they perceived as the needless interruption of an iconic moment.
A fan tweeted on X , “Stopping Ed Sheeran mid-concert? Bengaluru police just robbed us of a once-in-a-lifetime experience!” Another user joked, “We live in an uncleocracy. And there’s nothing uncles love more than stopping young people from having fun.”
But not everyone was on Sheeran’s side. PC Mohan, a local Member of Parliament from the governing BJP party, defended the authorities, saying, “Even global stars have to obey local regulations — no permit, no performance!”
Undeterred by the mishap, Sheeran went on with his planned gig at Bengaluru’s NICE Grounds later in the evening, surprising fans by singing two Telugu-language songs with Indian vocalist Shilpa Rao. The Bengaluru concert is part of Sheeran’s six-city India tour, with concerts also lined up in Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Shillong, and Delhi-NCR. His India visit highlights the country’s expanding hunger for global live music concerts. India’s live concert business is expected to be valued at between $700-900 million, driven by rising disposable incomes and a boom in demand for foreign artists, a recent Bank of Baroda report stated. Sheeran’s tour comes on the back of high-profile visits by Dua Lipa and Coldplay, further establishing India as an emerging destination in the global concert economy.
