NIBIRU kicks off the last festival of the first NIBIRU season: RETROGRADE. After a week with one of the most extensive programs of this summer days dedicated to family, two days of Popcorn Days, dedicated to dance and pop music created by Romanians and exported to dozens of countries the resort returns to the 2000s between August 28 and 30, when the RETROGRADE festival takes place.

Popcorn Days: two days in which NIBIRU turned the seaside into the capital of Romanian “popcorn” music

Between 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, turned Romania into one of the most relevant dance and pop music hubs in the world.

The event brought together the most emblematic names of that generation of artists and producers who dominated playlists in Romania and in over 50 countries: INNA, Edward Maya, David Deejay, DJ Sava, Fly Project, Morris, Alex Mica, Deepside Deejays.

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

Popcorn Days thus highlighted the role of Romanian artists in defining an internationally recognizable sound and served as a reminder of how Romanian dance and pop productions have influenced the global scene, being constantly played in clubs, on radio, and on streaming platforms across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

RETROGRADE (August 28 – 30): the last festival of the first NIBIRU season, dedicated to 2000s music and culture

Between August 28 and 30, 2026, NIBIRU kicks off the last festival of the resort’s first season, RETROGRADE. The last weekend of summer brings an event built around 2000s pop, R&B, and hip-hop culture, bringing back onto the same stage international and Romanian artists emblematic of that era.

The festival takes place on the Nibiru Arena stage and features as headliners Timbaland, EVE, Fat Joe, Keri Hilson, Busta Rhymes, and La Familia, names who defined the sound and visual style of the 2000s and who remain reference points for the audience that grew up with their music.

The RETROGRADE program is as follows:

August 28: the official opening of the festival, with concerts by EVE and Timbaland, one of the most influential producers and artists of the 2000s decade, known for collaborations with global stars and for the hits that dominated world charts.

August 29: the evening is dedicated especially to hip-hop and R&B, with concerts by Fat Joe and Keri Hilson, artists whose songs marked playlists and clubs around the world.

August 30: the last day of the festival brings the Busta Rhymes concert, alongside other names in the lineup, including La Familia, one of the most important hip-hop groups in Romania, who have influenced entire generations of artists and fans of the genre.

Access to the main promenade is free, with a minimum consumption of 25 lei, and festival tickets start at 119 lei, in a model that combines accessibility with the diversity of experiences offered.

As the end of the first season approaches, NIBIRU is closing a summer full of events with one of the most intense weeks of programming, but also with a surprise the public wasn’t expecting: “Christmas in September.” After thousands of visitors constantly asked in recent months whether NIBIRU could host the winter holidays at Costinești, the organizers decided to symbolically bring the Christmas atmosphere into the middle of summer. In the last week of the season, a Christmas tree will be installed on the promenade, along with themed elements and activations that reinterpret winter traditions in a summer resort setting. The gesture responds to public demand, as many wished NIBIRU could host the winter holidays by the sea something impossible at this time, due to the seasonal nature of the project and turns the end of the season into a memorable moment, in which “Christmas by the sea” becomes, for a few evenings, a real experience for a few evenings.