KURT COBAIN’S GUITAR COMES TO THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC

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Visit bit.ly/cobainplectrum for your chance to win Kurt Cobain’s plectrum, used for the 1993 MTV Unplugged performance, and own a piece of rock history. The plectrum is one of three Dunlop picks found inside Kurt Cobain’s Martin D-18E guitar case, currently on display in this exhibition.

Kurt Cobain’s legendary Martin D-18E, played during Nirvana’s iconic MTV Unplugged performance, is currently on display in the UK for the first time as part of Kurt Cobain Unplugged at the Royal College of Music Museum, running from 3 June to 18 November 2025.

The exhibition explores Nirvana’s groundbreaking MTV Unplugged session and reunites two of rock history’s most iconic artefacts – Cobain’s Martin D-18E and his famous olive-green mohair cardigan, worn during the performance – for the first time on display together.

The Kurt Cobain Unplugged exhibition delves into the musical legacy of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain and traces the remarkable journey of the iconic guitar, which became the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction in 2020 when it was bought for over $6 million by Australian entrepreneur Peter Freedman AM. Peter is the founder of RØDE Microphones, founding supporter of the Royal College of Music’s Australia Commonwealth Scholarship, and has generously loaned the guitar for this special exhibition.

Alongside these items, a carefully curated selection of Nirvana memorabilia provides insight into the band’s influence, Cobain’s songwriting, and the enduring legacy of Nirvana and their MTV Unplugged performance. The exhibition has been curated by Alan di Perna – one of America’s foremost rock journalists, and Royal College of Museum Curator, Professor Gabriele Rossi Rognoni.

Tickets to Kurt Cobain Unplugged can be booked online at: www.rcm.ac.uk/kurtcobain