Tens of thousands of people sang and danced for three days to the hits that defined the 2000s, at the first edition of RETROGRADE. The last international festival of the NIBIRU season brought together international and Romanian artists, different generations, and three nights of nostalgia lived with the energy of the present.

Beyond the festival, RETROGRADE changed the image of a late-August stretch on the coast: Costinești was full again, with tourist traffic comparable to that of midsummer. Through the audience drawn at the end of the season, NIBIRU showed that the Romanian coast can remain active and relevant beyond its traditional peak period.

Timbaland, for the first time in Romania, alongside the artists of a generation

RETROGRADE brought to the NIBIRU stage artists who wrote the soundtrack of the 2000s. Timbaland performed in Romania for the first time, in an international lineup that also included EVE, Keri Hilson, Fat Joe, and Busta Rhymes.

Hits that once dominated international charts and music videos once watched on television were relived live by tens of thousands of people. For the audience, RETROGRADE was more than a nostalgic festival: it was the meeting between the music of one generation’s adolescence and the energy of an audience discovering it today.

Romanian artists brought back the stories of the 2000s

Romanian music had its own moments of explosion in the NIBIRU arena. A.S.I.A., L.A., Andreea Bălan, Corina, and La Familia brought back before the audience the songs that marked an era, along with surprise moments prepared specially for the first RETROGRADE edition.

Choruses sung by the entire arena, long-awaited reunions, and appearances that connected past and present turned the Romanian artists’ shows into some of the festival’s most emotional moments.

RETROGRADE proved that nostalgia has no age. For some, the songs meant a return to adolescence. For others, it was the live discovery of music they knew from home, from the car, or from digital platforms.

Costinești, as crowded at the end of August as in peak summer season

Traditionally, the last days of August meant for Costinești the beginning of the end of the season: fewer tourists, terraces starting to close, and a resort gradually losing summer’s energy.

In 2026, the picture was completely different. Tens of thousands of people came specifically for NIBIRU’s RETROGRADE, filling the arena, the promenade, and the entire area. Restaurants and entertainment venues stayed active, and Costinești continued to run at the pace of a peak season period.

The last summer weekend brought over 120,000 tourists to the Romanian coast, according to representatives of tourism industry associations.

Costinești ended the summer with turnout typical of peak periods, in a final August weekend in which the NIBIRU events attracted a significant number of visitors. High tourist flows were also reflected in the heavy traffic in the southern part of the coast, confirming the area’s appeal until the last days of the season.

NIBIRU thus contributed to keeping Costinești active and attractive at the end of summer, through an events calendar capable of generating travel and bringing in audiences to the destination even in a period when the summer season was drawing to a close.

NIBIRU thus generated a new flow of visitors in the southern coast and showed that the end of August can carry the same energy as midsummer. Through concerts, festivals, and experiences aimed at multiple generations, the project extended the tourist season and turned the area into a destination that stays alive until the beginning of September.

RETROGRADE returns in 2027. First tickets are already available

Following the success of the first edition, the organizers have opened pre-sale for RETROGRADE 2027. Those who want to secure access to next year’s edition can already buy tickets, at the best prices, from the official platform nibiru.net.

Summer continues at NIBIRU until September 6

RETROGRADE closed the series of international festivals in the first NIBIRU season, but the program continues until September 6, 2026.

The final week brings “Christmas in September,” the themed event requested by the public, which unites the atmosphere of Christmas with the last summer nights at the seaside. Festive decor, music, themed experiences, and special screenings turn the end of the season into a celebration the Romanian coast has never had before.

Until September 6, NIBIRU remains open with restaurants, concerts, fashion, art, and entertainment for all generations, closing its first season with the same idea it began with: summer can be bigger, longer, and completely different.