Ed Sheeran’s street performance unplugged by irate Bengaluru cop

English singer-songwriter and global artist Ed Sheeran’s surprise performance in the streets of Bengaluru meant to be a treat for his fans turned embarrassing for the singer as police foiled his gig midway by unplugging his PA system. 

The British singer took to Church Street in Bengaluru on Sunday, February 9 to perform one of his most popular songs ‘Shape of You’. A crowd gathered around recording and cheering him on but the wholesome interaction between the singer and his fans was cut short as a policeman came up to the singer and asked him to stop. 

As a resident and a fan of Ed Sheeran attempted to stop the policeman from unplugging the system, the officer got visibly angry, leaving the singer unsure of what to do.

The policeman supposedly failed to recognise the pop singer and said prior permission was required to perform gigs on the street. 

The incident has generated even more buzz around his upcoming performance in Bengaluru on the same night.

Some people criticized the move saying “This is why we can never have a sense of community or fun here” while some people agreed with the police shutting down his performance saying the singer should have secured permission beforehand and that the law is the same for all.

“People dissing police should criticize the organizers for not discussing this with local authorities especially when there is a chance of massive crowd gathering when people get aware of Ed live entry,” said one user backing the police. 

The singer had two concerts scheduled in the city – February 8 and February 9. His next spot for the Indian leg of his Mathematics Tour is Shillong with a concert scheduled on February 12.

Last week the singer was seen touring the streets of Hyderabad visiting popular destinations like the Charminar, riding in auto rickshaws and savouring delicacies with Indian singer Armaan Malik who also joined him on stage for the concert held in Ramoji Film City on February 2.