Three continents. Three landmark meetings. One of the most consequential years in ICANN’s history. Here is everything the global domain community needs to know about ICANN’s 2026 public meeting calendar — including dates, venues, agendas, registration, and what is at stake for domain investors and professionals.
What Are ICANN Public Meetings?
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers — ICANN — holds three Public Meetings every calendar year, rotating across its five geographic regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America. These meetings are the primary venue through which ICANN’s multistakeholder community — governments, registries, registrars, civil society, technical experts, and individual domain professionals — comes together to progress policy work, conduct outreach, exchange best practices, and shape the rules that govern the global Domain Name System.
Each annual cycle includes three distinct meeting formats:
- Community Forum (Meeting A, typically March) — a six-day hybrid meeting focused on broad community engagement, policy development across all Supporting Organisations and Advisory Committees, and outreach to new participants.
- Policy Forum (Meeting B, typically June) — a focused four-day meeting centred on working-group sessions, intersessional policy discussions, and cross-community dialogue. Less ceremonial than the other meeting types; tightly agenda-driven.
- Annual General Meeting (AGM) (Meeting C, typically October) — a six-day hybrid meeting that combines all of the above with the ICANN Board’s public meeting, formal community updates, and the broadest range of stakeholder engagement of the year.
All ICANN Public Meetings are free to attend and open to everyone — whether you participate in person or remotely. This is a deliberate expression of the multistakeholder model: no ticket price, no gatekeeping. For the domain investment community, these meetings are an unparalleled opportunity to engage directly with policy developments that affect the assets you hold.
2026 ICANN Meetings at a Glance
| Meeting | Type | Dates | Location | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICANN85 | Community Forum | 7–12 March 2026 | Mumbai, India | Asia-Pacific |
| ICANN86 | Policy Forum | 8–11 June 2026 | Seville, Spain | Europe |
| ICANN87 | Annual General Meeting (28th) | 17–22 October 2026 | Muscat, Oman | Asia-Pacific |
Source: ICANN Public Meetings Calendar — meetings.icann.org/en/calendar
ICANN85 — Community Forum, Mumbai, India
Event Overview
| Meeting Number | ICANN85 |
| Meeting Type | Community Forum |
| Dates | 7–12 March 2026 |
| Venue | Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, India |
| Format | Hybrid (In-person + Virtual) |
| Time Zone | Indian Standard Time (IST / UTC+5:30) |
| Prep Week | 23–25 February 2026 |
| In-Person Registration Deadline | 6 March 2026 |
| ICANN Region | Asia-Pacific (AP) |
Why ICANN85 in Mumbai Was Historic
ICANN85 was a landmark meeting for the global domain community for a reason that extended well beyond the venue. Mumbai marked the first time ICANN held a major Public Meeting in India — the world’s most populous country and one of the fastest-growing internet markets. For Indian domain professionals, it was a moment of direct, accessible engagement with ICANN’s policy machinery without an intercontinental flight.
The meeting was structured as a six-day hybrid event at the Jio World Convention Centre in the Bandra Kurla Complex — Mumbai’s premier business district. Both in-person and virtual participation were fully supported, with sessions conducted during regular Indian Standard Time working hours.
Key Topics and Agenda Highlights
ICANN85 was one of the most substantively significant Community Forums in years, dominated by the accelerating pace of the New gTLD Program 2026 Round. Key agenda items included:
- New gTLD 2026 Round — Application Window Confirmed. ICANN officially confirmed that the application window for the next round of new generic top-level domains would open on 30 April 2026, with a 104-day submission period closing on 12 August 2026. The application process is not first-come, first-served — all applications submitted within the window are treated equally. This update drew significant attention from prospective applicants, brand owners, and registry service providers.
- TLD Application Management System (TAS) Introduction and Demo. ICANN presented a live demonstration of the TAS — the online platform through which all new gTLD applications would be submitted — giving prospective applicants their first hands-on look at the application interface.
- Registry Service Provider (RSP) Evaluation Programme. Sessions covering the evaluation process for third-party registry service providers, a key logistical element for new gTLD applicants who plan to outsource technical registry operations.
- DNSSEC and Security Workshop. A multi-session technical track covering DNS Security Extensions implementation, DNS abuse mitigation, and security challenges facing the DNS ecosystem.
- Government Advisory Committee (GAC) Sessions. The GAC conducted multiple working sessions on the 2026 New gTLD Round, registration data and data protection policies, DNS abuse measures, and preparations for the GAC communiqué — the formal advisory document conveying government positions to the ICANN Board.
- DNS Abuse Mitigation Policy Development. Multiple GNSO (Generic Names Supporting Organisation) working group sessions continued deliberations on DNS abuse mitigation requirements under the evolving policy framework.
- Review of Reviews Cross-Community Group. Progress reports on ICANN’s periodic review processes, which assess the effectiveness of its various Supporting Organisations and Advisory Committees.
- Fellowship and NextGen@ICANN Networking. ICANN selected 40 fellows from 37 countries for ICANN85 — a reflection of the programme’s global reach and its importance in diversifying ICANN community participation.
How to Register for Future Community Forums
ICANN85 has already taken place (March 2026). Sessions, recordings, transcripts, and materials are publicly available on the ICANN85 meeting website at icann85.sched.com. For the next Community Forum — ICANN88 in Lisbon, Portugal (13–18 March 2027) — registration will open on the ICANN meetings portal at meetings.icann.org. Watch the ICANN Engagement Calendar at icann.org/en/engagement-calendar for announcements.
ICANN86 — Policy Forum, Seville, Spain
Event Overview
| Meeting Number | ICANN86 |
| Meeting Type | Policy Forum |
| Dates | 8–11 June 2026 (Monday–Thursday) |
| Venue | FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre, Seville, Spain |
| Format | Hybrid (In-person + Virtual) |
| Time Zone | Central European Summer Time (CEST / UTC+2) |
| Prep Week | 20–21 May 2026 (Wednesday–Thursday) |
| In-Person Registration Deadline | 7 June 2026 |
| ICANN Region | Europe (EUR) |
| First Time in Seville | Yes — ICANN63 was last held in Spain (Barcelona, 2018) |
About the Venue
The FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre (Feria Internacional de Muestras y Exposiciones de Sevilla) is one of Spain’s premier convention venues, located in the Sevilla Este district in the eastern part of the city — a modern residential and business area approximately 20 minutes from the historic city centre by public transport. FIBES is a purpose-built conference facility with extensive plenary, breakout, and exhibition space, well suited to a multi-track hybrid international meeting of ICANN’s scale.
June in Seville is warm — daytime temperatures typically reach 30–35°C (86–95°F) with strong sunshine and minimal rainfall. Light clothing, sun protection, and good hydration are recommended for in-person attendees. The evening climate is pleasant, around 18–19°C, making the city’s famous tapas culture very accessible outside meeting hours.
What to Expect at a Policy Forum
The Policy Forum format is deliberately lean. Unlike the Community Forum and Annual General Meeting, ICANN86 will not feature a welcome ceremony, a public Board meeting, or a sponsor exhibition area. The four days are tightly focused on policy development work in progress across ICANN’s Supporting Organisations and Advisory Committees — primarily the GNSO, ccNSO, GAC, ALAC, SSAC, and RSSAC.
Policy Forums are where the substantive work gets done: working group sessions, intersessional negotiations, cross-community dialogue, and drafting of policy recommendations. For domain professionals who want to understand the direction of ICANN policy — particularly on issues like new gTLDs, registration data access, DNS abuse, and UDRP reform — the Policy Forum is the most technically substantive meeting of the year.
Key Topics Expected at ICANN86
- New gTLD 2026 Round — Application Window in Progress. By the time ICANN86 convenes on 8 June 2026, the new gTLD application window (which opened 30 April 2026) will be well underway, with the 12 August 2026 submission deadline approaching. ICANN86 will feature sessions on application processing, string similarity evaluation, and the approaching Reveal Day — when all applied-for strings will be made public for the first time.
- Registration Data Access and Privacy. Ongoing policy discussions on the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP), which replaced WHOIS as the definitive source of domain registration data in January 2025, and the associated frameworks for data access, privacy, and law enforcement requests.
- DNS Abuse Mitigation. Continued GNSO policy development on the obligations of registries and registrars to address malware, phishing, botnets, and spam in the DNS ecosystem.
- UDRP and Dispute Resolution Policy. Working group discussions on updates to dispute resolution mechanisms, including ongoing interest in UDRP reform and Reverse Domain Name Hijacking protections — topics of direct relevance to domain investors.
- Universal Acceptance (UA) Day Follow-Up. ICANN86 will incorporate follow-up from UA Day 2026 (May 2026), which featured over 30 events in over 30 countries focused on making the internet truly multilingual through Universal Acceptance of all domain name forms.
Prep Week — 20–21 May 2026
ICANN announced a seven-session Prep Week for ICANN86, held virtually on 20 and 21 May 2026. Prep Week sessions are conducted in English with remote simultaneous interpretation in French and Spanish. They are designed to orient community members ahead of the main meeting — covering key policy topics, procedural updates, and orientation for first-time participants. Sessions are recorded and materials are published publicly after each session. To access Prep Week sessions, registration for ICANN86 is required.
How to Register for ICANN86
Registration for ICANN86 is free and open to everyone. There are two participation modes:
- In-Person Registration — Open until 7 June 2026. There is no on-site registration; all in-person attendees must pre-register. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with a QR code required for badge collection at FIBES. Government-issued photo identification is also required at badge pickup. Accompanying persons and family members must register separately as in-person attendees to access the meeting space.
- Virtual Registration — Remains open after the in-person deadline closes. Virtual participants can access all sessions through the ICANN86 meeting platform.
To register: Visit the official ICANN86 meeting website at meetings.icann.org/en/meetings/icann86/ and follow the registration link. You will need an ICANN account (free to create at accounts.icann.org).
Note on Sched: Registration for ICANN86 does not automatically create a user account on Sched.com, the platform used for the ICANN86 session schedule and personalised agenda builder. You will need to log into your existing Sched account or create a new one separately at icann86.sched.com.
Visa Information for ICANN86
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and most South and Southeast Asian countries require a Schengen Visa to enter Spain. Indian passport holders should apply well in advance — Schengen visa processing times vary by consulate and can be lengthy during peak summer travel season. Key steps:
- Register for ICANN86 as an in-person participant.
- Upon registration approval, you will receive an official ICANN86 invitation letter — a required supporting document for the Schengen Visa application.
- Apply at the Spanish Embassy or Consulate in your country, following the official requirements of Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- For private airport transfers, ICANN’s contracted Destination Management Company (DMC) can be reached at icann86@cenarte.com — provide your flight details to arrange pre-booked car service between Seville Airport (SVQ) and your hotel.
Note: ICANN will make reasonable efforts to assist with invitation letters but does not control visa processing outcomes. Apply early — ideally 8–10 weeks before the meeting.
Fellowship Programme — ICANN86
The ICANN Fellowship Programme for ICANN86 was open only to existing Fellowship Programme alumni (those who have previously completed an ICANN Fellowship). The application deadline was 10 December 2025, with successful candidates announced on 5 February 2026. The fellowship round for ICANN86 is now closed.
ICANN87 — Annual General Meeting, Muscat, Oman
Event Overview
| Meeting Number | ICANN87 |
| Meeting Type | Annual General Meeting (28th) |
| Dates | 17–22 October 2026 (Saturday–Thursday) |
| Venue | Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC), Muscat, Oman |
| Host | Telecommunications Authority of Oman |
| Format | Hybrid (In-person + Virtual) |
| Time Zone | Arabia Standard Time (AST / UTC+4) |
| ICANN Region | Asia-Pacific (AP) |
| Registration | To be announced — monitor meetings.icann.org |
Background: The Road to Muscat
Muscat was originally selected to host ICANN84 — the 2025 Annual General Meeting — but the event was postponed and relocated to Dublin, Ireland due to concerns related to the conflict in the Middle East. The Telecommunications Authority of Oman graciously offered to reschedule, and ICANN’s Board formally approved Muscat as the ICANN87 venue at its October 2025 meeting. The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) — a world-class venue capable of handling large international conferences — will serve as the meeting site.
Why ICANN87 Is the Most Important Meeting of 2026
The Annual General Meeting is the most comprehensive of ICANN’s three annual meeting formats, and ICANN87 in particular falls at what may be the single most consequential moment in the domain industry’s recent history. Here is why:
- New gTLD Reveal Day. The new gTLD application window closes on 12 August 2026. After a processing period, ICANN expects Reveal Day — when all applied-for new top-level domain strings are made public for the first time — to occur before ICANN87 in October 2026. This means ICANN87 will take place in the immediate aftermath of one of the domain industry’s most anticipated disclosure moments. The entire community will know who applied for which strings, which brands filed for their own extensions, what conflicts exist, and what the competitive landscape looks like. ICANN87 sessions will be consumed with analysis, strategy discussions, and the beginning of the objection process.
- String Confirmation Day. After Reveal Day, applicants move toward String Confirmation Day — expected in November 2026 — at which point each applicant is locked into their chosen string. ICANN87 will be the last major community gathering before this milestone, making it a critical venue for finalising application strategies.
- Objection Period Launch. Following String Confirmation Day, a 104-day objection period begins during which formal challenges to new gTLD applications can be filed on intellectual property, community, or public interest grounds. ICANN87 will set the stage for this period and allow stakeholders to signal their intentions.
- ICANN Board Public Meeting. The AGM format includes the Annual General Meeting of the ICANN Board — the most significant formal Board engagement of the year, covering governance updates, strategic direction, and accountability to the community.
- Domain Days Immediately Prior. Muscat will host the Domain Days conference immediately before ICANN87 — creating an exceptional back-to-back event for the domain investment community. The co-location of a major domain industry conference with an ICANN AGM is a rare opportunity.
Key Topics Expected at ICANN87
- New gTLD 2026 Round — post-Reveal Day analysis, string contention management, and objection period briefings
- ICANN Board Annual General Meeting and governance updates
- Registration data, RDAP implementation, and privacy framework
- DNS Security (DNSSEC) and DNS abuse mitigation progress reports
- ccTLD policy developments and country-code namespace governance
- At-Large community outreach and individual internet user representation
- ICANN strategic plan and financial plan updates for FY2027
- Fellowship and NextGen programme recognition events
NextGen@ICANN87 — Programme for University Students
ICANN opened the NextGen@ICANN87 application round on 23 March 2026, targeting university students aged 18–30 living and studying in the Asia-Pacific region. The programme provides an immersive experience covering the internet ecosystem, ICANN’s policy development process, internet governance, and direct engagement with ICANN community members. The application deadline was 1 May 2026, with successful candidates to be announced on 7 July 2026.
For Indian students and young professionals with an interest in internet governance and domain policy, NextGen@ICANN is one of the most accessible pathways into the ICANN community. Keep an eye on icann.org/en/nextgen for future application rounds.
How to Register for ICANN87
Registration for ICANN87 had not yet opened as of the publication of this article. Based on ICANN’s standard meeting timeline, in-person registration is expected to open approximately 3–4 months before the event — around June or July 2026 — with an in-person registration deadline of approximately 15–16 October 2026.
To register when open: Visit meetings.icann.org/en/meetings/icann87/ and follow the registration link. An ICANN account is required (free at accounts.icann.org). Monitor ICANN’s Engagement Calendar and official announcements at icann.org/en/announcements for the registration opening date.
Visa Information for ICANN87
Indian passport holders require a visa to enter Oman. An e-Visa is available for Indian citizens through the Royal Oman Police e-Visa portal. Processing is generally straightforward and relatively quick compared to Schengen applications, but applicants should apply at least 4–6 weeks in advance. As with all ICANN meetings, registering as an in-person attendee generates an official invitation letter from ICANN that supports visa applications.
The New gTLD 2026 Round: The Thread Connecting All Three Meetings
If there is one issue that unifies all three 2026 ICANN meetings into a coherent narrative, it is the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round — the second major round of new generic top-level domain applications since the landmark 2012 round that produced over 1,200 new extensions.
The timeline for the 2026 Round as confirmed at ICANN85 is as follows:
| Milestone | Expected Date |
|---|---|
| Application Window Opens | 30 April 2026 |
| Application Window Closes | 12 August 2026 (104 days) |
| Reveal Day (Applied-For Strings Made Public) | Before ICANN87 (October 2026) |
| String Confirmation Day | November 2026 (approx.) |
| Objection Period Opens | Following String Confirmation Day (104 days) |
For domain investors, brand managers, and registry professionals, this timeline creates a sequence of decisions and intelligence-gathering moments — and each ICANN meeting in 2026 is a venue for critical information:
- ICANN85 (March) confirmed the application window opening date and provided the first TAS system demonstration.
- ICANN86 (June) will coincide with the application window being open, allowing real-time discussions of emerging application trends and contention resolution strategies.
- ICANN87 (October) follows Reveal Day and precedes String Confirmation — making it the pivotal policy and strategy forum for anyone involved in the 2026 Round.
Special Programmes: Fellowship, NextGen, and Childcare Grants
ICANN operates several programmes designed to broaden participation in its meetings and in the ICANN community generally. These are particularly relevant for Indian and Asian domain professionals, students, and civil society members.
The ICANN Fellowship Programme
The Fellowship Programme supports individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities to participate in ICANN Public Meetings. Fellows receive financial support covering travel, accommodation, and meeting registration, as well as structured mentorship and immersive engagement in ICANN’s policy processes. The programme is open to all interested individuals (new applicants may apply for Community Forum and AGM rounds; alumni may apply for Policy Forum rounds). Application rounds typically open 4–5 months before each meeting. Monitor icann.org for future rounds including the ICANN87 Fellowship.
NextGen@ICANN
The NextGen programme is targeted at university students aged 18–30 from the ICANN region hosting the meeting. It provides an immersive introduction to ICANN’s work, internet governance, and the global DNS ecosystem, with in-person participation fully supported. For ICANN87 in Muscat, the programme targeted Asia-Pacific region students with an application deadline of 1 May 2026. Future rounds are announced at icann.org/en/nextgen.
Community Childcare Grants
ICANN’s Community Childcare Grants Programme facilitates in-person participation for community members with children 12 years old or younger. Grants of up to USD $750 per family are available to cover babysitting or local childcare costs at the meeting location. There are no on-site childcare services at ICANN meetings; the grant is for independently arranged care. Application deadlines are typically 6–8 weeks before each meeting. Details for ICANN87 will be published on ICANN’s website when available.
How to Participate Remotely in ICANN Meetings
Every ICANN Public Meeting is fully accessible to virtual participants at no cost. Remote participation is not a reduced experience — it is a fully designed participation mode. Here is what virtual attendees can expect:
- Live streaming of all open sessions via the meeting’s Adobe Connect or equivalent platform.
- Remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI) in ICANN’s six working languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish) for plenary and major sessions.
- Adobe Connect participation with the ability to submit questions and comments in real time via chat and queue.
- Sched platform for browsing and managing your personalised session schedule — a separate account from your ICANN registration.
- Session recordings, transcripts, and materials published publicly after each session — typically within 24 hours for recordings and within a few days for transcripts.
To participate virtually: register at meetings.icann.org and select virtual attendance. Remote participation links are published 24 hours before each session’s start time.
Looking Ahead: 2027 ICANN Meetings
ICANN has already confirmed the first two 2027 meetings:
| Meeting | Type | Dates | Location | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICANN88 | Community Forum | 13–18 March 2027 | Lisbon, Portugal | Europe |
| ICANN89 | Policy Forum | 14–17 June 2027 | Vancouver, Canada | North America |
Vancouver’s selection for ICANN89 is particularly notable for DOMAINX™ — our Canadian expansion is based in Surrey, British Columbia, just outside Vancouver. An ICANN Policy Forum in our adopted city is an opportunity we intend to engage with actively.
Why ICANN Meetings Matter for Domain Investors
ICANN Public Meetings are not abstract policy events. The decisions made in working groups at ICANN meetings have direct, material consequences for domain investors, registrars, and brand owners. Policies developed and advanced at these meetings determine:
- What new top-level domains exist and who can operate them
- What information is publicly available about domain registrants and under what conditions
- What obligations registrars and registries have to address DNS abuse
- How UDRP and dispute resolution mechanisms evolve — directly affecting how domain assets can be challenged or protected
- What the rules are for domain transfers, expiry, redemption periods, and grace periods
- How ICANN’s contractual relationships with registries and registrars are structured — which flows through to pricing and service availability
Engaging with ICANN — even as a virtual participant in a handful of sessions per year — puts domain professionals closer to these decisions. At DomainX, as a community with deep experience in domain investing, policy advocacy, and education, we encourage Indian domain professionals to engage with ICANN’s work and make their voices part of the multistakeholder conversation.
Quick Reference: Registration Links and Key URLs
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| ICANN85 Session Archive | icann85.sched.com |
| ICANN86 Meeting & Registration | meetings.icann.org/en/meetings/icann86/ |
| ICANN86 Session Schedule | icann86.sched.com |
| ICANN87 Meeting (when live) | meetings.icann.org/en/meetings/icann87/ |
| Full ICANN Meetings Calendar | meetings.icann.org/en/calendar |
| ICANN Engagement Calendar | icann.org/en/engagement-calendar |
| Create an ICANN Account | accounts.icann.org |
| ICANN Fellowship Programme | icann.org/en/fellowships-and-scholarships |
| NextGen@ICANN | icann.org/en/nextgen |
| New gTLD 2026 Round | newgtldprogram.icann.org |
| ICANN Official Announcements | icann.org/en/announcements |
Source and Attribution
All event details, dates, venues, and programme information in this article are sourced from ICANN’s official publications including the ICANN Public Meetings Calendar (meetings.icann.org/en/calendar), ICANN Engagement Calendar (icann.org/en/engagement-calendar), and official ICANN announcements at icann.org/en/announcements. This article is published by DOMAINX™ for informational and educational purposes. Event details are subject to change — always verify with ICANN’s official sources before making travel arrangements.