The Grammy winning artist’s live performance at Church Street was halted by Bengaluru Police today minutes after he began singing.

Hours after having his street performance stopped by the Bengaluru police, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran broke his silence on the situation.

“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 posted on his Instagram story.

The Grammy winning artist’s live performance at Church Street was halted by Bengaluru Police today minutes after he began singing. Authorities stated that the event lacked official permission, while Sheeran’s team claimed it was a brief act with prior approval.

A video circulating online showed the acclaimed singer starting his hit song ‘Shape of You’. However, within a minute, police intervened and pulled the plug on Sheeran’s microphone mid-performance.

Authorities stated that the event lacked official permission, while Sheeran’s team claimed it was a brief act with prior approval.

DCP Central Bengaluru, Shekar T. Tekkannanavar, clarified why the performance was stopped. He stated that Chetan, a member of the organizing team, had approached him for permission, but it was denied. The rejection was due to Church Street being a high-traffic area, and as per a high court order, several evacuations had already been carried out there. Since no official approval was granted, Sheeran was asked to vacate the location.

Ed Sheeran is currently in India for his The Mathematics tour and is set to perform in Bengaluru today. He has already performed in Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai.