ICANN84 Moves from Muscat to Dublin: What the Venue Switch Means for Internet Governance and the 2026 New gTLD Round

ICANN has shifted its 2025 Annual General Meeting—ICANN84—from Muscat, Oman, to Dublin, Ireland, while keeping the original dates of 25–30 October 2025. The decision follows weeks of regional air-space disruptions that threatened flight reliability and attendee safety. Dublin’s Convention Centre now inherits the hybrid gathering that finalises Board appointments and wraps up policy work before the next new gTLD application window.

How the Change Unfolded

ICANN’s Board reviewed escalating Middle-East travel constraints in late June and concluded that Muscat could no longer guarantee “operational certainty.” A special resolution authorised staff to secure an alternate site meeting the Meeting Strategy Working Group’s geographic-rotation rules. Dublin emerged as the only venue available on the same week that also offered proven technical infrastructure from its successful hosting of ICANN 54 in 2015.

What Stays the Same in ICANN 84

The six-day schedule, session lineup, and hybrid participation model remain intact, preserving livestreams with real-time interpretation for all policy tracks—DNS abuse mitigation, WHOIS-accuracy reviews, and the near-final Applicant Guidebook redlines. Registration will open in July, and draft agendas are still expected in August.

Why Dublin Works for ICANN84

Dublin’s Docklands tech hub offers dense hotel inventory within walking distance of the Convention Centre, fast fibre, and nonstop flights from most global hubs. Ireland’s visa-waiver programme covers many nationalities, and its short-stay visa process is simpler than Omani entry rules. For attendees coming from North America the journey falls under seven hours; European travellers can arrive in under three. October weather averages 9–14 °C—plan for drizzle rather than desert heat.

Re-planning Checklist

Airlines are already adding autumn capacity into Dublin; securing seats early averts price spikes from overlapping events. Hotel rates in the Docklands and Grand Canal districts have risen since the relocation notice—book quickly or look south of the River Liffey for better value. Non-EU visitors should confirm visa requirements with Ireland’s immigration service; a Schengen visa alone does not suffice.

Implications for New gTLD Stakeholders

ICANN 84 is the last in-person AGM before applications open for the 2026 new gTLD round. Final community consensus on applicant support, Registry Service-Provider criteria, and closed-generic policy is slated for debate in Dublin. Brands eyeing a Dot Brand string and back-end providers positioning for new registry business should treat the venue switch as an opportunity: many European rights-protection advocates, DNS-abuse researchers, and cloud backend providers maintain a strong presence in Ireland’s tech corridor, making corridor conversations more centralised than in Muscat.

Looking Ahead

ICANN has signalled its intent to return to Oman for a future meeting once regional stability improves, praising the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for months of preparation. For now, the focus turns to Dublin, where attendance is projected to exceed 2,500 on-site—a high-water mark in the post-pandemic era. If you plan to influence late-stage Guidebook tweaks or lobby for your Dot Brand strategy, circle 25–30 October 2025 and start rerouting your travel plans today.