Tens of thousands of people sang and danced for three days to the hits that defined the 2000s, at the first RETROGRADE edition. 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 itself, RETROGRADE changed the image of a late August on the coast: Costinești was full again, with tourist traffic comparable to mid-summer. By drawing crowds at the end of the season, NIBIRU proved that the Romanian seaside can stay 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 for the first time in Romania, in an international line-up that also included EVE, Keri Hilson, Fat Joe and Busta Rhymes.
Hits that dominated the 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 a generation's teenage years and the energy of an audience discovering it today.
Romanian artists brought the stories of the 2000s back to the stage
Romanian music had its own explosive moments in the NIBIRU arena. A.S.I.A., L.A., Andreea Bălan, Corina and La Familia brought back the songs that marked an era, along with surprise moments prepared especially for the first RETROGRADE edition.
Choruses sung by the entire arena, long-awaited reunions and appearances that bridged past and present turned the Romanian artists' shows into some of the most emotional moments of the festival.
RETROGRADE proved that nostalgia knows no age. For some, the songs meant a return to their teenage years. 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 the energy of summer.
In 2026, the picture was completely different. Tens of thousands of people came especially to NIBIRU for RETROGRADE, filling the arena, the promenade and the entire area. Restaurants and entertainment spaces stayed active, and Costinești continued to operate at the pace of a peak-season period.
The last weekend of summer brought over 120,000 tourists to the Romanian coast, according to representatives of the tourism employers' associations.
Costinești ended the summer with attendance specific to peak periods, in a final weekend of August in which NIBIRU's events drew a significant number of visitors. The high tourist flows were also reflected in the heavy traffic in the south of the coast, confirming the area's appeal right up to the final days of the season.
NIBIRU thus helped keep Costinești active and attractive at the end of summer, through a calendar of events capable of generating travel and bringing 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 south of the coast and showed that the end of August can have the same energy as mid-summer. Through concerts, festivals and experiences dedicated to several 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. The first tickets are already available
Following the success of the first edition, the organizers opened the pre-sale for RETROGRADE 2027. Those who want to secure their access to next year's edition can already buy tickets, at the best prices, on the official platform nibiru.net.
Summer continues at NIBIRU until 6 September
RETROGRADE closed the series of international festivals of NIBIRU's first season, but the program continues until 6 September 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 evenings by the sea. Festive decorations, music, themed experiences and special projections turn the end of the season into a celebration unlike anything the Romanian seaside has seen before.
Until 6 September, NIBIRU stays open with restaurants, concerts, fashion, art and entertainment for all generations, closing its first season with the same idea it started with: summer can be bigger, longer and completely different.