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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 the same: 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 calendar change. For people travelling from Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, or anywhere else in Europe, it also changes the practical travel planning.
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 looks like Oman may still host an ICANN meeting in the future, but not this one.
For Benelux domain investors, registrars, consultants, lawyers and others who follow ICANN closely, Bali may be a more practical destination in the current situation. It is still a long journey, of course, but routes through Asia may be easier to manage than relying too heavily on Middle East connections while the regional situation remains unstable.
Belgian and Dutch passport holders should check the Indonesian entry rules before booking. In many cases, travellers can use a Visa on Arrival or apply through the official Indonesian eVisa system before travelling. Passports normally need to be valid for at least six months from arrival, and travellers should also check return or onward ticket requirements, the Bali tourist levy, and the digital arrival card rules.
The important point for Benelux residents is that visa rules depend on the passport used, not only where someone lives. A person living in Belgium or the Netherlands but travelling on another passport should check the Indonesian rules for that nationality.
The flight question is probably the biggest practical issue. In normal times, many Europe-to-Asia routes go naturally through Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. These hubs are usually efficient and convenient, but in the current climate they may also carry more risk if the situation worsens again. Delays, cancellations, missed connections or difficult rebooking can quickly turn a cheap flight into a very expensive one.
Personally, if I were booking early, I would first compare routes through Istanbul, as tickets through Turkey are often very competitive. I would also look at Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. For a long trip like this, a single through-ticket is usually safer than separate tickets. Saving a small amount on separate bookings can become painful if the first flight is delayed and the second airline treats you as a no-show.
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 wider ICANN policy work are all moving forward, and Bali will now be the place where many of these conversations continue.
The location has changed, but the meeting is still going ahead.
For 27.be members who are considering attending, the practical work now starts with checking visas, comparing flights carefully, reviewing travel insurance and choosing connection routes with a bit 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
Belgian Foreign Affairs, Indonesia travel advice:
https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/la...indonesie-reisadvies/laatste-update-indonesie
Netherlands Worldwide, Indonesia travel advice:
https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/reisadvies/indonesie
Official Indonesian eVisa website:
https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/
The dates remain the same: 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 calendar change. For people travelling from Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, or anywhere else in Europe, it also changes the practical travel planning.
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 looks like Oman may still host an ICANN meeting in the future, but not this one.
For Benelux domain investors, registrars, consultants, lawyers and others who follow ICANN closely, Bali may be a more practical destination in the current situation. It is still a long journey, of course, but routes through Asia may be easier to manage than relying too heavily on Middle East connections while the regional situation remains unstable.
Belgian and Dutch passport holders should check the Indonesian entry rules before booking. In many cases, travellers can use a Visa on Arrival or apply through the official Indonesian eVisa system before travelling. Passports normally need to be valid for at least six months from arrival, and travellers should also check return or onward ticket requirements, the Bali tourist levy, and the digital arrival card rules.
The important point for Benelux residents is that visa rules depend on the passport used, not only where someone lives. A person living in Belgium or the Netherlands but travelling on another passport should check the Indonesian rules for that nationality.
The flight question is probably the biggest practical issue. In normal times, many Europe-to-Asia routes go naturally through Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. These hubs are usually efficient and convenient, but in the current climate they may also carry more risk if the situation worsens again. Delays, cancellations, missed connections or difficult rebooking can quickly turn a cheap flight into a very expensive one.
Personally, if I were booking early, I would first compare routes through Istanbul, as tickets through Turkey are often very competitive. I would also look at Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. For a long trip like this, a single through-ticket is usually safer than separate tickets. Saving a small amount on separate bookings can become painful if the first flight is delayed and the second airline treats you as a no-show.
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 wider ICANN policy work are all moving forward, and Bali will now be the place where many of these conversations continue.
The location has changed, but the meeting is still going ahead.
For 27.be members who are considering attending, the practical work now starts with checking visas, comparing flights carefully, reviewing travel insurance and choosing connection routes with a bit 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
Belgian Foreign Affairs, Indonesia travel advice:
https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/la...indonesie-reisadvies/laatste-update-indonesie
Netherlands Worldwide, Indonesia travel advice:
https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/reisadvies/indonesie
Official Indonesian eVisa website:
https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/
