Ed Sheeran prevented from busking by police in India

Ed Sheeran apparently hit a sour note with police in India.

The four-time Grammy Award winner was stopped from busking in the southern city of Bengaluru on Sunday, the BBC reported. Police said the singer did not have the necessary permission to conduct a surprise concert for a crowd of spectators.

Sheeran, dressed in a white T-shirt and green shorts, was filmed playing his guitar and singing his 2017 hit, “Shape of You,” hours before a concert in the city, NBC News reported. A police officer then walked up to the singer and unplugged his microphone as the crowd jeered.

Fans captured video footage of the incident and shared it on social media, People reported. The “Shivers” singer later posted a message on his Instagram Stories, telling his fans it was “all good.”

“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,” Sheeran wrote. “All good though. See ya at the show tonight.”

Officials told the ANI news agency a request from Sheeran’s team to busk on the road was rejected to avoid congestion in the area. The street is one of ht busiest in the city, police said.

“I refused to give permission because Church Street gets very crowded,” Shekar T. Tekkannanavar, police deputy commissioner for central Bengaluru, told the ANI news agency. “That is the reason he was asked to vacate the place.”

The incident occurred hours before Sheeran’s scheduled Mathematics Tour concert at NICE Grounds in Bengaluru, the BBC reported.

P.C. Mohan, a local politician, told the news outlet that “even global stars must follow local rules -- no permit, no performance!”

Sheeran is in India for the second consecutive year as part of a 15-day tour, the BBC reported.

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