Rome celebrates its 2,774th birthday on 21 April 2021. Known as Natale di Roma, the annual birthday celebration is based on the legendary founding of Rome by Romulus in 753 BC. Traditionally the celebrations include historical re-enactments such as costumed parades and gladiator fights however in 2021, for the second year in a row, events will be moved online due to Italy's covid-19 restrictions.

Events are usually centred in the Circus Maximus and include gladiator fights and the trench-digging ritual, known as the tracciato del solco, which recalls the founding of ancient Roman towns when a trench or mundus was dug and offerings thrown into it to encourage the gods to watch over the inhabitants.