In brief
The renowned artist was stopped while busking ahead of his Mathematics Tour concert at NICE Grounds, leading to online backlash against police actions.
British pop star Ed Sheeran's attempt to entertain fans with an impromptu busking session in Bengaluru was abruptly cut short on Sunday as local police intervened, citing a lack of necessary permissions to perform. A video that captured a police officer unplugging Sheeran's microphone in the lively Church Street area has since gone viral, arguably drawing increased public attention to the incident. According to reports from officials, the request from Sheeran’s team to conduct the busking was declined in order to prevent congestion in the already busy area. However, Sheeran took to Instagram to assert that he and his team had secured permission, indicating that their chosen spot for the performance had been prearranged. “All good though. See you at the show tonight,” he added reassuringly. This incident unfolded just before Sheeran's scheduled concert as part of his Mathematics Tour at NICE Grounds. The police's intervention received mixed reactions online, with some fans condemning the actions as indicative of restrictive regulations in India, with comments like, “We live in an uncleocracy" highlighting frustrations with vague enforcement barriers. Local MP PC Mohan, a representative from the ruling BJP party, responded to criticisms by stating, "even global stars must follow local rules - no permit, no performance!" Sheeran is currently on a 15-day tour in India, having already performed in cities like Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai, with forthcoming concerts in Shillong and New Delhi. At his Bengaluru concert, Sheeran made a surprise by performing two popular Telugu songs alongside singer Shilpa Rao, continuing his trend of collaboration with local artists, as seen with his earlier work with Indian singer Diljit Dosanjh in Birmingham. The demand for live music experiences in India is on the rise, and Sheeran's extensive tour follows notable performances from artists like Dua Lipa and Coldplay, underscoring the burgeoning "concert economy" projected to be worth between $700-900 million according to a recent report.
