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ICANN has confirmed that its ICANN87 Annual General Meeting will now take place in Bali, Indonesia, instead of Muscat, Oman.
The dates remain unchanged: 17 to 22 October 2026. The new venue is the Bali International Convention Centre, connected to The Westin Resort Nusa Dua.
I am writing this also from practical experience. I travel to many domain industry conferences, and over the years I have learned how much a poorly chosen connection, a last-minute ticket, or an unstable transit hub can affect the whole journey. Most recently, I was stuck in Dubai for three days during war-related travel disruption, while only being there in transit.
That is why this ICANN update is not just a small change in the conference calendar. For global domain investors, brokers, registrars, consultants and others who travel to industry events, it is also a reminder to plan the journey properly.
ICANN’s Board approved the move on 3 May 2026. The reason given was the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East and the risk that travel and security issues could affect the meeting in Muscat. ICANN thanked the Omani host and local partners, and it appears that Oman may still host an ICANN meeting in the future. ICANN87, however, will now be held in Bali.
For domainers, this matters because ICANN meetings are where many of the policy, registry, registrar and infrastructure conversations continue in person. Even for those of us who are mostly focused on .com, the wider ICANN environment still affects the market around us: registrars, registries, DNS abuse policy, registration data, new gTLDs, compliance, transfers and the general direction of the domain name industry.
Bali may be a more practical location in the current situation, especially for attendees travelling from Asia, Australia and parts of the Pacific. For travellers from Europe, North America, Africa or the Middle East, it is still a long journey and usually requires at least one connection.
The flight question is probably the biggest practical issue. In normal times, many long-haul routes to Asia go through Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or other Middle East hubs. These hubs are often efficient and price-competitive, but in the current climate they may also carry more risk if the regional situation becomes unstable again. Delays, cancellations, missed connections or difficult rebooking can quickly turn a cheap ticket into an expensive mistake.
Personally, if I were booking early, I would compare routes through Istanbul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. For many travellers, Istanbul can be attractive on price, while Asian hubs may offer cleaner onward connections to Bali. The best choice will depend on where you are starting from, but I would not choose a route only because it is the cheapest one shown on a booking site.
A single through-ticket is also safer than separate tickets, especially on a trip this long. Saving a small amount with separate bookings can become painful if the first flight is delayed and the second airline treats you as a no-show.
Travellers should also check Indonesian entry rules before booking. Many visitors can use a Visa on Arrival or apply through the official Indonesian eVisa system, but the exact rules depend on the passport used. Passport validity, return or onward ticket requirements, Bali’s tourist levy and any digital arrival requirements should all be checked before travel.
ICANN87 will be an important meeting for the domain name industry. The next round of new gTLDs, registry service provider work, DNS abuse discussions, registration data access and broader ICANN policy work are all moving forward. These discussions may not always be .com-specific, but they still shape the wider domain business environment in which .com investors operate.
The location has changed, but the meeting is still going ahead.
For NamesLot members and global domainers who are considering attending, the practical work now starts with checking visas, comparing flight routes carefully, reviewing travel insurance and choosing connection hubs with more caution than usual.
Sources/References:
ICANN Board resolution:
https://www.icann.org/en/board-acti...g-of-the-icann-board-03-05-2026-en#section2.f
ICANN announcement:
https://www.icann.org/en/announceme...ng-to-be-held-in-bali-indonesia-02-06-2026-en
Official Indonesian eVisa website:
https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/
The dates remain unchanged: 17 to 22 October 2026. The new venue is the Bali International Convention Centre, connected to The Westin Resort Nusa Dua.
I am writing this also from practical experience. I travel to many domain industry conferences, and over the years I have learned how much a poorly chosen connection, a last-minute ticket, or an unstable transit hub can affect the whole journey. Most recently, I was stuck in Dubai for three days during war-related travel disruption, while only being there in transit.
That is why this ICANN update is not just a small change in the conference calendar. For global domain investors, brokers, registrars, consultants and others who travel to industry events, it is also a reminder to plan the journey properly.
ICANN’s Board approved the move on 3 May 2026. The reason given was the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East and the risk that travel and security issues could affect the meeting in Muscat. ICANN thanked the Omani host and local partners, and it appears that Oman may still host an ICANN meeting in the future. ICANN87, however, will now be held in Bali.
For domainers, this matters because ICANN meetings are where many of the policy, registry, registrar and infrastructure conversations continue in person. Even for those of us who are mostly focused on .com, the wider ICANN environment still affects the market around us: registrars, registries, DNS abuse policy, registration data, new gTLDs, compliance, transfers and the general direction of the domain name industry.
Bali may be a more practical location in the current situation, especially for attendees travelling from Asia, Australia and parts of the Pacific. For travellers from Europe, North America, Africa or the Middle East, it is still a long journey and usually requires at least one connection.
The flight question is probably the biggest practical issue. In normal times, many long-haul routes to Asia go through Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi or other Middle East hubs. These hubs are often efficient and price-competitive, but in the current climate they may also carry more risk if the regional situation becomes unstable again. Delays, cancellations, missed connections or difficult rebooking can quickly turn a cheap ticket into an expensive mistake.
Personally, if I were booking early, I would compare routes through Istanbul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. For many travellers, Istanbul can be attractive on price, while Asian hubs may offer cleaner onward connections to Bali. The best choice will depend on where you are starting from, but I would not choose a route only because it is the cheapest one shown on a booking site.
A single through-ticket is also safer than separate tickets, especially on a trip this long. Saving a small amount with separate bookings can become painful if the first flight is delayed and the second airline treats you as a no-show.
Travellers should also check Indonesian entry rules before booking. Many visitors can use a Visa on Arrival or apply through the official Indonesian eVisa system, but the exact rules depend on the passport used. Passport validity, return or onward ticket requirements, Bali’s tourist levy and any digital arrival requirements should all be checked before travel.
ICANN87 will be an important meeting for the domain name industry. The next round of new gTLDs, registry service provider work, DNS abuse discussions, registration data access and broader ICANN policy work are all moving forward. These discussions may not always be .com-specific, but they still shape the wider domain business environment in which .com investors operate.
The location has changed, but the meeting is still going ahead.
For NamesLot members and global domainers who are considering attending, the practical work now starts with checking visas, comparing flight routes carefully, reviewing travel insurance and choosing connection hubs with more caution than usual.
Sources/References:
ICANN Board resolution:
https://www.icann.org/en/board-acti...g-of-the-icann-board-03-05-2026-en#section2.f
ICANN announcement:
https://www.icann.org/en/announceme...ng-to-be-held-in-bali-indonesia-02-06-2026-en
Official Indonesian eVisa website:
https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/
