#NIBIRU kicks off the final festival of its first season: RETROGRADE. Following a week featuring one of the most extensive programs of the summer – including family-focused days and two days of Popcorn Days, dedicated to the dance and pop music created by Romanian artists and exported to dozens of countries – the resort travels back to the 2000s between August 28 and 30 for the RETROGRADE festival.

On August 25–26, 2026, NIBIRU Arena and the promenade area hosted Popcorn Days, a festival built around the musical phenomenon that, in the early 2000s, helped turn Romania into one of the world’s most relevant hubs for dance and pop music.

The event brought together some of the most iconic names of the generation of artists and producers who dominated playlists in Romania and more than 50 countries, including INNA, Edward Maya, David Deejay, DJ Sava, Fly Project, Morris, Alex Mica and Deepside Deejays.

The program was designed as a mini-festival within the resort, featuring live concerts, DJ sets and non-stop party moments. Audiences had the opportunity to hear live some of the hits that became the soundtrack of a generation, from “Stereo Love” by Edward Maya and “Sun Is Up” and “Hot” by INNA, to tracks by Fly Project, DJ Sava and Morris, in a format combining nostalgia with the energy of the world’s largest open-air club.

Popcorn Days also highlighted the role of Romanian artists in shaping a sound that became recognizable internationally and recalled how Romanian dance and pop productions influenced the global music scene, being regularly played in clubs, on radio stations and across streaming platforms in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

From August 28 to 30, 2026, NIBIRU launches the final festival of the resort’s first season, RETROGRADE. The last weekend of summer brings an event centered on the pop, R&B and hip-hop culture of the 2000s, bringing international and Romanian artists who defined the era together on the same stage.

The festival takes place on the NIBIRU Arena stage and features headliners including Timbaland, Eve, Fat Joe, Keri Hilson, Busta Rhymes and La Familia – names that helped define the sound and visual style of the 2000s and remain influential references for audiences who grew up with their music.

August 28: The official opening of the festival features performances by Eve and Timbaland, one of the most influential producers and artists of the 2000s, known for his collaborations with global stars and for hits that dominated international charts.

August 29: The evening is dedicated primarily to hip-hop and R&B, with performances by Fat Joe and Keri Hilson, artists whose music became a staple of playlists and clubs around the world.

August 30: The festival’s final day features a performance by Busta Rhymes, alongside other names on the lineup, including La Familia, one of Romania’s most important hip-hop groups, whose music has influenced generations of artists and fans of the genre.

Access to the main promenade is free of charge, with a minimum spend of RON 25, while festival tickets start at RON 119, in a model designed to combine accessibility with a diverse range of experiences.

As the first season draws to a close, NIBIRU is ending a summer packed with events with one of its most intense weeks of programming – as well as a surprise the public was not expecting: “Christmas in September.”

After thousands of visitors repeatedly asked in recent months whether NIBIRU could organize the winter holidays in Costinești, the organizers decided to symbolically bring the Christmas atmosphere to the middle of summer.

During the final week of the season, a Christmas tree will be installed on the promenade, alongside themed elements and activations that reinterpret winter traditions within a summer seaside resort setting.

The initiative responds to a request from the public, many of whom would have liked NIBIRU to host the winter holidays by the sea – something that is currently impossible due to the seasonal nature of the project.

For a few evenings, however, “Christmas by the Sea” will become a reality, transforming the end of NIBIRU’s first season into a memorable celebration.

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