Sziget Festival was originally called Diáksziget when it began in Budapest in 1993.
The name Diáksziget translates roughly as “Students’ Island.” The first event was organized on Óbuda Island in the Danube and was designed as a cultural gathering for young people after the political and social changes of the early 1990s. Music was central, but the program also included theater, film, discussion, and other arts.
The event later changed its name several times as sponsors became involved. It was known as Pepsi Sziget for a period before adopting the shorter Sziget name. “Sziget” means “island” in Hungarian and reflects the festival’s location on Óbuda Island.
Because the festival is internationally marketed in English, some readers assume Sziget was its original name. The historical name Diáksziget refers specifically to the 1993 starting point, not to a separate festival.