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 Hall’, Keith Jarrett’s ‘The Köln Concert’ and Talking Heads’ ‘Stop Making Sense’ as one of the greatest live albums ever recorded.”

Also featuring in the exhibition – which opens on 3 June and lasts until 18 November 2025 – is the olive-green mohair cardigan Cobain wore during the set, making this the first time ever these two items will be displayed together. 

The famous cardigan was sold at auction for $334,000 (approx. €308,000) in 2019. 

There will also be a curated collection of Nirvana memorabilia, including original gig posters, collectible vinyl records, and pieces from Cobain’s own musical equipment collection. 

Last year, Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture faced criticism for a Nirvana exhibition that says Kurt Cobain “un-alived himself.”

The term “un-alived” originated on TikTok, in order to circumvent censorship from algorithms, which ban users for words like “suicide.” However, that language manifested IRL in the exhibit, stating that Cobain did not die by suicide on 4 April 1994 at the age of 27 but “un-alived himself at 27.” 

Many drew comparisons to George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” – in which everyone talks in “Newspeak”.

Tickets for ‘Kurt Cobain Unplugged’ in London go on sale on 30 April. The exhibition takes place from 3 June until 18 November 2025.