Ed Sheeran’s been touring in India, but when he tried to give fans a treat by performing in the street on Sunday, the police shut him down.
The Times of India posted video of Ed singing “Shape of You” on a street in Bengaluru, when a cop approaches and unplugs his microphone. The official reason was that Ed didn’t have the right permit to play in the street; after he’s cut off, he tells the crowd, “We have the permission to be here, but this policeman is shutting it down, so I’ll see you later.”
Local officials denied that Ed had gotten permission to play, according to the Times. One told the paper, “Even abroad, performances require permission. Sheeran’s team could have approached us, and we would have arranged a private space in a restaurant or an open venue for Bengaluru to enjoy.” And local police said, “No one can perform on the footpaths or the roads as it causes inconvenience to others.”
On his Instagram Story, captured by People magazine, Ed insisted that he had the right to play. He wrote, “We had permission to busk btw, hence us playing in that exact spot, was planned out before, it wasn’t just us randomly turning up. All good though.”
That night, Ed performed at one of Bengaluru’s official concert venues.
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