Bucharest's National Arena Hosts 60,000 Jehovah's Witnesses as Port of Constanta Faces Bomb Threat

Romania's largest stadium hosted over 60,000 attendees for an international religious congress in June, while the country's main shipping port suspended operations following an artificial intelligence-generated bomb threat. The National Arena in Bucharest, currently closed for football matches, has become a venue for large-scale events, with the religious gathering representing one of the year's largest indoor assemblies. Meanwhile, authorities at the Port of Constanta evacuated employees and halted all operations after receiving a threatening phone call.

The National Arena Congress

The "Eternal Happiness" international congress, organized by Jehovah's Witnesses, took place from June 19-21 and drew approximately 60,000 participants. According to reports from attendees who shared updates on social media, the event included 476 baptisms performed on the stadium's grass surface, along with participation from 9,000 volunteers. Attendees from Romania, Hungary, and the Roma community participated, with one international visitor describing it as the 30th country they had visited for similar gatherings.

The National Arena has remained unavailable for football since April, when Dinamo and Rapid played their last match on the venue. Before the religious congress, the stadium hosted three consecutive major concerts featuring Metallica, Max Korzh, and Iron Maiden, collectively drawing over 150,000 spectators. The venue is scheduled to host the SAGA Festival in late August before welcoming the Dinamo-FCSB derby in early September, marking the stadium's return to competitive football.

Port Evacuation and AI-Generated Threat

The Port of Constanta halted all operations on Wednesday morning after the Romanian Naval Authority received a bomb threat via telephone at 11:30 a.m. Port officials stated that the threat was generated by artificial intelligence and specified that explosives were allegedly placed at the port authority building and the passenger terminal. Authorities immediately evacuated all employees from affected buildings and suspended incoming and outgoing shipping operations.

Several companies operating within the port ordered their workers to leave, affecting thousands of daily commuters who rely on employment at the facility. Specialized bomb disposal teams conducted thorough searches throughout the morning and afternoon. Port management indicated that operations would remain suspended until evening, once verification procedures concluded. Initial assessments suggested the threat was not credible, though authorities proceeded with full evacuation protocols as a precautionary measure.