Manchester Kurt Cobain mural marking 30 years since death of Nirvana icon unveiled at music venue

A mural of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain has been unveiled on the side of a music venue in Manchester. The work has pride of place on the side of The Bread Shed on Oxford Road.

The mural has been created by Manchester-based social enterprise Headstock. The group is also behind the Ian Curtis mural in Manchester, as well as an artwork tribute to The Prodigy’s Keith Flint down in London. 

The location was picked due to it being a short walk from where Nirvana played their only two Manchester gigs. These were when the band played at Manchester Polytechnic Students Union in 1989 and Manchester Academy in 1991. 

Headstock wanted the mural to be completed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness week in the UK as well as to be during the 30th anniversary of the singer's death. Kurt Cobain died on April 5 1994. 

Akse_p19 is the artist behind the work, after also completing the works of Ian Curtis and Motaz Azaiza, a photojournalist who is covering the war in Gaza. Both of these works are also located in Manchester. 

Most recently, Akse announced he had been commissioned to create a huge new mural for Co-op Live. The work will be 40 metres by four metres and will be along the walking route from Manchester city centre to the new arena.