David Gilmour’s Black Strat Headed to Auction in March

Starting in March, David Gilmour’s Black Strat will be going up for auction again. The guitar will be sold at Christie’s on Thursday, March 12 as part of The Jim Irsay Collection: Hall of Fame. This live sale will feature around 50 lots, including some of the rarest and most sought-after treasures from The Jim Irsay Collection. Many of the pieces at the center of what Guitar World magazine called “The Greatest Guitar Collection on Earth” will be offered in this sale, such as guitars played by Kurt Cobain and John Lennon, as well as other historical artifacts.
You might recall that in 2019, David Gilmour auctioned several of his guitars at Christie’s, with all proceeds going to the environmental organization ClientEarth. The Black Strat sold for an astounding $3.9 million, making it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction. The winner of that auction and most recent owner of the Black Strat, Jim Irsay, best known as the owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team, sadly passed away last year. Beginning in 2021, the guitar was exhibited in many cities alongside other instruments from Irsay’s collection. These exhibitions were often followed by concerts that saw the Black Strat played by Kenny Wayne Shepherd as part of Irsay’s live band. Since Irsay’s passing, his family has said they plan to auction off most of his collection.
Christie’s is offering hundreds of incredible objects from The Jim Irsay Collection in a series of sales in 2026, beginning with almost 400 items tracing the 20th Century’s pivotal moments in music, film, sports, and pop culture over four auctions from March 3 to March 17. The objects will also be on view in a free, public exhibition at Christie’s at 20 Rockefeller Plaza from March 6 until March 12.
To view the entire catalogue for sale, click this link.
Before the collection is offered and exhibited at Christie’s in New York, selected highlights will go on a world tour, giving the public the opportunity to view these extraordinary objects. The tour stops include:
Highlights Exhibition at Christie’s London: January 16-22
8 King St. London SW1Y 6QT, United Kingdom
Highlights Exhibition at The Super Bowl Experience, San Francisco: February 3-7
The Moscone Center, 747 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Highlights Exhibition at Christie’s Los Angeles: February 4-6
336 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills CA 90210
Highlights Exhibition in Las Vegas: February 20-22
Contact the press office for more information pressamericas@christies.com
A limited-edition printed catalogue is available for purchase: https://store.christies.com/product/the-jim-irsay-collection-hall-of-fame
