RØDE Founder and Chairman Peter Freedman AM has given the Sydney Festival its largest ever philanthropic donation, an unprecedented $5 millon. Freedman, who made headlines last year with the $9 million dollar purchase of the acoustic guitar Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain used in the band’s famous MTV Unplugged concert, has been the principal philanthropic partner of the Sydney Festival since 2013 and in 2016 received the Order of Australia for his service to business, manufacturing and export, and his philanthropic support for cultural events.

RØDE Founder and Chairman Peter Freedman AM. Photo courtesy of Sydney Festival

“I am extremely proud to continue my support of Australian arts and culture with this donation to the Sydney Festival,” Freedman said. “Our artistic communities need assistance now more than ever. The creative arts are at the mercy of this pandemic, more so than any other industry, and the past 12 months have highlighted just how fragile the industry is.”

“I have long been an advocate for the Sydney Festival and strongly believe it is one of the world’s most important cultural events and most certainly Australia’s. The Festival has supported thousands...