Picture the walk from the Colosseum towards Piazza Venezia. Ancient stones on one side, a long metal railing on the other. And on that railing, something catching the November light. Not padlocks this time. Earbuds. Thousands of them, hanging in little clusters like a very strange kind of plastic ivy.
So what actually happened on the Imperial Forums?
Tourists had hung thousands of used earbuds, the ones handed out for guided tours, along the railings between the Roman Forum, the Forum of Caesar and Largo Argentina. Photos and videos spread on social media, and on the morning of 4 November the city’s cleaning company AMA (“Decoro” team) started taking them down together with the Polizia Locale. Since they’re electronics, they can’t just go in the bin. They follow the official recycling and disposal procedure.
ANSA calls it a new tourist trend, right after the love locks on Ponte Milvio. One social media user even reported similar locks on Via degli Annibaldi. Honestly, I doubt anyone set out to vandalise ancient Rome. Someone hangs one earbud, the next group copies it.
Why a “harmless” trend becomes a Rome problem
One earbud is nothing. Thousands of them on a railing next to 2,000-year-old ruins is a mess that somebody else has to clean up. And Rome is already juggling a lot of visitors, which is why the city keeps tweaking its rules.
The Imperial Forums are a good example of why it matters. Turismo Roma describes them as the political heart of ancient Rome, and Via dei Fori Imperiali was cut through them in the 1930s for military parades. It doesn’t need our plastic on top.
Rome tourist rules worth knowing before you go
The Trevi Fountain now costs €2. Since 2 February 2026, tourists pay €2 to enter the basin area closest to the fountain, daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Residents of Rome and the metropolitan area, children under 5 and people with disabilities and their carers are exempt, and at the entrance you can pay by card only. All the details are on the official Turismo Roma page. Rome isn’t alone with this, by the way. I wrote about the entrance fee for tourists in Venice too.
Leave nothing behind. No locks, no earbuds, no stickers, no coins stuffed into cracks. If it’s not yours to leave, take it with you. Tour headsets go back to your guide.
Be careful with picnics at monuments. Rules about eating and drinking on monument steps and at fountains have been tightened in recent years, and fines are reported from around €200. I’d just look for the signs and sit somewhere else.
Cover up in churches. Shoulders and knees, always. A light scarf in your bag solves it.
Eat like a local, not like a trend. Queuing for a viral snack is the least Roman thing you can do. Book a table instead and order the real thing, like the cacio e pepe at Roscioli. And if you’re wondering when to order your coffee, here’s when Italians actually drink cappuccino.
What to do instead of the next viral trend
If you want a photo nobody else has, skip the railing and walk up the hill. I’d always choose Villa Borghese over a second lap around the Colosseum, especially in the afternoon when the crowds peak. Planning a longer trip? My overview of what’s new in Italy in 2026 will save you a few surprises, and the Lazio category has more from around Rome.
Have a look at this video too:
So yes, the earbuds are gone. The Fori are back to being a place where you can look at ruins, and the next tourist trend will probably pop up somewhere else. My advice? Be the person who leaves Rome with a full camera roll and no litter left behind. And if you spot something weird on a railing, tell me about it in the comments.
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