Royal College of Music Museum to Launch Kurt Cobain Exhibition This Summer

Starting this June 3, the Royal College of Music Museum in London has plans to launch a Kurt Cobain Unplugged exhibition featuring Cobain’s famous acoustic guitar as a statement piece. The exhibition will explore Nirvana’s famed ’93 MTV Unplugged in New York performance and will display a selection of memorabilia honoring his legacy.

Whether you’re a Nirvana fan or not, Cobain’s Martin D-18E is an instantly recognizable and iconic acoustic guitars in history. In 2020, it sold for $6 million at an auction by an Australian entrepreneur, Peter Freedman AM.

Freedman is the founding supporter of the Royal College of Music’s Australia Commonwealth Scholarship and has offered Cobain’s Martin D-18E as a temporary loan for the exhibition this June. This is one of two special edition items that will be displayed, including Cobain’s mohair cardigan, which he wore the night of the MTV Unplugged performance.

Speaking about what sentiment the guitar has to him, Freedman says:

“When I purchased this guitar, my intention was to have it begin a worldwide tour of exhibitions, to support performing artists. 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.”

Kurt Cobain Unplugged is a new exhibition co-curated by Alan di Perna and Gabriele Rossi Rognoni. Together, the pair have created a one-of-a-kind vision for Nirvana fans to re-learn the story of one of the most famous rock bands and guitar players in human history.

Speaking about the exhibition, Perna says:

“I’m delighted to be a part of the Royal College of Music Museum’s first-ever rock music exhibition. 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.”

Alongside Cobain’s famed guitar and sweater, the exhibition will host a selection of gig posters, Nirvana vinyls in their original shrink wrap, and the top portion of a Soundboard of another guitar from the same series.

Fans can book tickets for Kurt Coabin Unplugged here, from Wednesday, April 30.