The guitar which featured in Nirvana’s famous ‘MTV Unplugged’ performance is set to go on display in the UK for the first time.
It was a centre-piece of the iconic 1993 gig in New York, which was later released as an album the following year. The release won Nirvana their only ever Grammy and gained cult-like status as it was recorded just five months before Cobain’s death.
The legendary concert will now be immortalised at The Royal College of Music Museum. Rock journalist Alan di Perna and curator Gabriele Rossi Rognoni will run the exhibition in London, which will be available to attend between June 3 and November 18 2025.
Speaking to The Guardian on the uniqueness of the guitar, di Perna said: “It’s a very rare instrument and an unsuccessful model. The whole world was going crazy for electric guitars in 1959 and this was Martin’s attempt at making an acoustic guitar electric, and it didn’t really work.
“It’s one of a kind: the guitar was modified for Cobian’s left-hand playing technique… In a way it’s kind of an outcast like Kurt himself. It’s a suitable guitar for him in a lot of ways.”
‘Nirvana Unplugged’ will be familiar to many people who lived throughout the 1990s as it was a mainstay on MTV following Cobain’s untimely death. The performance will forever be adored by fans as it showcased the true spirit of the iconic grunge band and the ‘90s as a whole. Despite pressure from the broadcaster to play their big hits, Cobain and co decided to fill the setlist with several covers including three songs by the relatively unknown band The Meat Puppets.
“I put it up there with The Beatles on the roof of Apple Records in London. Just imagine if John Lennon died five months after that performance? How powerful would that be? That’s what we have with Nirvana Unplugged!” di Perna said.
The Royal College of Music has been loaned the Martin D-18E guitar by it’s owner, Peter Freedman, after he bought it for $6 million (£4.8m) in 2020, which made it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction.
Freedman stated how he intended to use the guitar as a warning to upcoming artists: “I paid for it but I’m going to use it to highlight the plight of artists worldwide by touring it around and then I’m going to sell it and use the dough for that as well, later” he said after making the purchase.
It will not only be the guitar being immortalised at the exhibition, with the olive-green cardigan Cobain wore for the performance also being on show, along with original gig posters, collectable vinyl records, and pieces from Cobain’s personal musical equipment collection.
A series of events, performances and workshops inspired by the legendary Seattle-based band will coincide with the exhibition in London, making it a must see for any Nirvana fan.
Tickets will go on sale from April 30 for £5, available here.
