Kurt Cobain’s iconic guitar to feature at London exhibition this summer

The iconic guitar Kurt Cobain used in Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance is set to feature in an upcoming London exhibition titled 'Kurt Cobain Unplugged'.  

The famous acoustic set was recorded in November 1993, five months before Cobain’s death. It was released as an album in 1994 and earned Nirvana their only Grammy.

Now, the Martin D-18E that the late musician played during legendary performance will be available to view as part of a landmark exhibition that delves into the legacy of the gig.  

It marks the first time the rare instrument, which became the most expensive guitar sold at auction in 2020, has been displayed in the UK. 

“When I purchased this guitar, my intention was to have it begin a worldwide tour of exhibitions, to support performing artists,” shares Australian entrepreneur Peter Freedman AM, who bought the instrument for over $6 million (approx. €5.5m) in 2020. “I am delighted that this intent will be premiered at the Royal College of Music, London, with the first exhibition of its kind and will support talented musicians worldwide.” 

The exhibition is curated by rock journalist Alan di Perna and curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni and will run at the Royal College of Music Museum in London.  

“I’m delighted to be a part of the Royal College of Music Museum’s first-ever rock music exhibition,’ shares Alan di Perna. “MTV’s Nirvana Unplugged in New York was a landmark event – a stand-out performance by a group that changed the course of rock history in the 1990s.” 

In our Album Anniversaries series - as the album turned 30 last year - we said: "30 years after its release, it stands alongside Duke Ellington’s ‘Ellington at Newport’, Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Live at Fillmore West’, Bill Withers’ ‘Live at Carnegie