Originally planned for 46 days and extended until September 6, NIBIRU’s first season brought together over 350 events, 500 artists and an audience made up of different generations and communities. Over two million visitors came to NIBIRU, and together with Beach, Please!, the total traffic generated within this ecosystem exceeded 2.6 million visits.
NIBIRU wraps up its first season after a summer in which it tested a new model for the Romanian coast: a destination active every day, built around music, culture, sport, gastronomy, art, play and time spent together.
The project generated approximately €400 million in the economy of Constanța county. The daily average reached 42,000 visitors at NIBIRU and approximately 50,000 people during peak periods.
Measured against the length of the season and the daily average, these figures describe the scale and operating pace of a resort: a constant flow of visitors, services active every day, and the ability to generate spending over the course of 53 days. NIBIRU functioned as an entertainment resort and as a point of attraction for the coast, with visible effects on tourist circulation and the local economy.
The season, originally scheduled for 46 days, was extended until September 6. The extension brought “Christmas in September,” an idea inspired by a proposal from the public and turned into a week of concerts, open-air cinema, activities for children, themed decor, and festive-inspired evenings spent a few hundred meters from the sea.
NIBIRU, a destination built on the experience economy and community model
The first season shaped NIBIRU as a cultural, relaxation, sports, gastronomy and community territory. Concerts were one component of a program running daily, throughout the entire summer.
Under the artistic direction of director Răzvan Dincă, the promenade and Center Stage hosted a format of a scale rarely seen on the Romanian coast. The seven themed universes, Circus of Wonders, Neon Asia, Velvet Cabaret, Barrio Carnaval, Summer Disco Love, American Soul System and Worlds of NIBIRU, returned weekly with sets, choreography, costumes, acrobatics, parades and artistic interventions developed specifically for this destination.
The shows turned the promenade into an open stage. Languages specific to theater, musicals, cabaret, circus and visual arts reached a very broad audience, in a space accessible to families, teenagers and adults.
Humor had its own stage at NIBIRU
Entertainment also came to life through The Fool Comedy Club, which brought the best open-air stand-up moments on the coast all summer long. Micutzu, Bordea, Drăcea and many other comedians took the stage with stand-up shows, one-man shows, roast battles and open mic nights.
The comedy program gave audiences one more reason to come back, rounding out the profile of a resort in which music, performance and comedy each had their own space.
NIBIRU Arena, the largest open-air club in the world
NIBIRU Arena brought together the season’s major festivals and concerts in a space designed for tens of thousands of participants. Through its capacity, infrastructure and the density of its program, the arena became the largest open-air club in the world.
Giant LED screens, state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems turned the evenings into experiences comparable to major international entertainment destinations. Audiences experienced concerts and festivals under the open sky, in a space that brought international and Romanian artists, diverse music communities and varied show formats onto the same stage.
A musical map built from different communities
NIBIRU brought trap, hip-hop, Latin music, reggaeton, house, techno, EDM, K-pop, rock, Romanian pop, manele and the repertoire of the ’90s and 2000s together in the same calendar.
Beach, Please! opened the season with Playboi Carti, Future, Don Toliver, Tyla, Yeat and Quavo. GALAXIA brought Ozuna, Nicky Jam, Farruko, HUGEL and DJ Snake to Costinești. NEBULA X continued with Black Coffee, John Summit, Charlotte de Witte, Marco Carola and The Martinez Brothers.
K-POP DAYS brought TAEMIN, JEON SOMI, EVERGLOW and WHIB to the stage and drew fans from Romania, South Korea, Greece, Austria, Spain, Bulgaria, Moldova, Australia, Germany and Italy. ROCK DAYS brought Iris, VAMA, Vița de Vie, Subcarpați, Zdob și Zdub, byron and other names from the Romanian scene. STARDUST revived the energy of the ’90s and 2000s with artists such as Haddaway, Snap, Corona, Nana, ATC, while Popcorn Days brought back into the spotlight the Romanian musical phenomenon that reached international charts.
RETROGRADE closed the series of major international festivals with Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, EVE, Fat Joe, Keri Hilson and La Familia. The daily Center Stage concerts brought Smiley, Delia, INNA, Carla’s Dreams, Irina Rimes, Theo Rose, Antonia, The Motans, Alex Velea, Connect-R and many other Romanian artists before the public.
At NIBIRU, music communities kept their identity while sharing the same space. Holograf and Adrian Minune, Ozuna and Stela Enache, Iris and artists from the urban scene were all part of the resort’s program.
Dance brought people together
Dance was the common language at NIBIRU. On stage, in the choreography coordinated by Răzvan Dincă, and on the promenade, in spontaneously formed horas, movement turned crowds into communities. People danced together to music spanning several generations, from the ’90s and 2000s to today’s hits, and dance became the most direct way of belonging to a place and a shared moment.
Films and matches watched together in Piațeta NIBIRU
The giant screen in Piațeta NIBIRU created a community experience around film and sport. Audiences watched the premiere of “TEAMBUILDING 2” alongside the film’s actors, and football match broadcasts brought the community of supporters in front of the screen.
In the final week, the open-air screening of “Home Alone,” organized together with Cinema Europa, brought one of families’ winter rituals to the seaside. Piațeta thus functioned as a cinema hall, a grandstand and an open-air meeting space.
Sport, play and experiences for the whole family
The NIBIRU experience continued beyond the stages. Visitors had access to padel and basketball courts, a Roller Rink, a zipline, a Ferris wheel, an amusement park and outdoor activity zones.
Hype Play, the Planet Museum, the MINA immersive experience, character parades, magic shows, puppet theater, creative workshops, science experiments and interactive games made up a daily program for families.
Street shows set the rhythm of the promenade and turned movement between restaurants, activity zones and stages into an artistic experience in itself.
Families were the first season’s surprise
The surprise of the first season was the response from families. From the concept stage onward, one of NIBIRU’s goals was to attract this audience and build the identity of an entertainment resort, with a daily program and experiences for all ages. The festivals operated within this broader infrastructure, alongside cultural, sports, recreational and gastronomic activities.
Parents understood that a destination loved by children can influence the choice of an entire family and can build a new tourism phenomenon around it. Children found play, characters, shows and activities, while adults found music, gastronomy, sport and relaxation spaces.
Safety was among the aspects most frequently praised by parents. The 53 days ended with zero major incidents, and the security measures, constant monitoring and organization of the space gave families the confidence to spend time at NIBIRU throughout the whole program and to return with their children.
This formula extended the time spent at the destination and turned an evening visit into a family experience. NIBIRU became the place where parents came to their children’s concerts, and children discovered their parents’ artists.
From Dumitru Prunariu to Florian Munteanu: role models for the new generation
During segments hosted by Dan Negru, the NIBIRU stage hosted personalities who represent Romanian achievement in science, sport and film.
Dumitru Prunariu, the only Romanian to have traveled to space, opened NIBIRU before an audience of approximately 30,000 people. Ilie Năstase, the first ATP world No. 1 in tennis history, and Rică Răducanu, one of the emblematic figures of Romanian football, brought back into the spotlight achievements that marked the history of Romanian sport.
The film industry was represented by Florian Munteanu, the Romanian actor who has built an international career in Hollywood productions, and by actor and producer Codin Maticiuc. The two took the NIBIRU stage together and announced an initiative through which a new talent will get the chance to make a name for themselves.
Also at NIBIRU, 32 national Olympic athletes were applauded by thousands of people. Each received, from Bookzone, a blank guaranteed publishing contract, with no expiration date, in a moment that turned recognition of achievement into a concrete opportunity.
Through these encounters, achievement was presented to the new generation through people and results built through work, discipline, courage and continuity.
Special events gave each week its own identity
The Great NIBIRU Picnic made use of the meadow and green spaces as places for relaxation and socializing. Family Fest expanded the program dedicated to children. National Anthem Day brought together over 25,000 people in a moment hosted by Dan Negru, with Irina Baianț, the Representative Brass Band of the Romanian Naval Forces and Naval Forces service members.
Sea Days brought air shows, skydivers, demonstrations and a special program for families. Beer Days powered by URSUS and the Wine Festival rounded out the gastronomy component through concerts, tastings and brand experiences.
Alongside the festivals, the calendar included many other musical moments, such as the Gipsy Kings concert, as well as themed parties such as the Beach, Please! Party.
A world record and prizes that turned the audience into participants
NIBIRU also hosted its first Guinness World Records™. LaProvincia, a Carmistin The Food Company brand, together with Chef Jannis Alexandridis, prepared and served 425 kilograms of chicken wings, surpassing the previous world record of 297.5 kilograms set in New York.
The last weekend of the season brought NIBIRU’s grand prize: a €20,000 electric car
Throughout the summer, NIBIRU periodically offered prizes to the public, with each campaign accompanied by the announcement of winners. Upon reaching the two-million-visitor threshold, Marian, a Romanian based in London, received lifetime access to NIBIRU and a dedicated budget for experiences at the resort.
The final weekend brought the season’s grand prize through the Pink Friday campaign, organized in partnership with Banca Transilvania. People who bought tickets or passes for NIBIRU 2027 using a BT card received an additional 10% discount and were automatically entered into the draw for a BYD Dolphin Surf electric car, worth €20,000.
The campaign closed on September 5, and the draw took place on September 6, the last day of the season. The car was awarded to a winner from Constanța county.
NIBIRU increased the coast’s appeal
The season’s impact was visible in tourist circulation, road traffic, accommodation occupancy rates, and restaurants and services in Costinești and nearby towns. The last weekend of August brought peak-season-level flows to the southern coast, at a time when the summer season was traditionally entering its final stage.
NIBIRU contributed to expanding the tourism calendar and diversifying the reasons why people choose this region. The project operated alongside hotels, restaurants, clubs, terraces, services and local operators, in an ecosystem in which every experience supports the appeal of the entire destination.
The next goal is growing the international component. NIBIRU aims to turn an artist or a festival into a reason to travel to Romania, followed by booking a vacation and discovering the Romanian coast.
For 2027, the season will begin on June 24 and will continue until September 5, over the course of 74 days. The program will bring new experiences, artists and communities, improved infrastructure and a stronger international presence.
Partners of NIBIRU’s first season
The first season was developed with the support of partners Banca Transilvania (BT), Coca-Cola, eMAG, Lidl, URSUS, Bumbu Rum Company, Event Platform Systems (EPS), 5 to go, Takis, Jägermeister, essence, OPPO, BUMP, Head & Shoulders, Old Spice, Viva Chips, Samus, Fashion Days, Lotto Snacks, La Transalpina, Mastercard, Orange, FANbox by FAN Courier and LaProvincia, Promotors, StayFit, Sweets Kendamas, ISIC, the European Youth Card, Klintensiv.
Special thanks to media partners VOYO, Kiss FM, ELLE, Libertatea, Ringier, Unica.ro, Mediafax, CANCAN, A List Magazine, Știripesurse.ro, Zile și Nopți, Daily Magazine, Nine O’Clock, TechStart, G4Media, Profit.ro, Cotidianul.ro, Adevărul.ro and InternetCorp, HotNews, Revista Biz.
The cultural, recreational and brand experiences were supported by collaborations with Bookzone, The Fool, Cinema Europa, Hype Play, MINA, TaranTerra, VMax, and Valiza.ro, alongside local artists, producers, suppliers, vendors and entrepreneurs.
The audience, teams, partners and communities who took part in the first season turned NIBIRU from a project into a real destination. The first summer showed that entertainment can create tourist circulation, a sense of belonging, collective memory, and a new reason why the Romanian coast is worth discovering.
