ICANN87 Comes to Bali: What You Need to Know About the Internet’s Global Gathering
Have you ever wondered who makes sure that website addresses remain unique and can be found correctly on the internet?
Behind something as simple as typing google.id or any other website address, there is a global system that helps ensure domain names and other unique identifiers on the internet function in a coordinated way.
One of the organizations that plays an important role in this ecosystem is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
Interestingly, in October 2026, the global internet community will turn its attention to Indonesia. The ICANN87 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in Bali from 17–22 October 2026, at the Bali International Convention Centre, Nusa Dua. The meeting will take place in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join either in person or virtually. Indonesia, through the Pengelola Nama Domain Internet Indonesia (PANDI), will serve as the local host for ICANN87.
What Is ICANN?
ICANN is a global nonprofit organization that plays a role in helping keep the internet stable, secure, and interoperable.
One area closely associated with ICANN is the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS helps translate human-readable domain names into addresses that devices can use to locate services on the internet.
Simply put, when you type a domain name into a browser, a process takes place behind the scenes to help your device find the right destination.
That is why domain management is not simply about purchasing a website name. There is a global ecosystem working behind the scenes to ensure that domain names can function in a coordinated manner.
What Is ICANN87?
ICANN87 is ICANN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and is one of its major public meetings.
ICANN holds three public meetings each year, each with a different focus: the Community Forum, Policy Forum, and Annual General Meeting.
At meetings such as ICANN87, various stakeholders from the global internet ecosystem come together to discuss issues, exchange perspectives, develop policies, and address matters related to the continued development of the internet.
ICANN meetings follow a multistakeholder approach, allowing different groups to participate in discussions, including governments, the technical community, industry, civil society organizations, academics, and internet users.
Why Is ICANN87 Important for Indonesia?
Hosting ICANN87 in Bali is about more than simply becoming the venue for an international conference.
More broadly, the event highlights Indonesia’s growing role in the global internet ecosystem.
According to ICANN, its public meetings attract participants from more than 150 countries. With ICANN87 taking place in Indonesia, the local internet community will have an opportunity to engage directly with stakeholders from around the world.
For Indonesia, this creates an important opportunity to strengthen discussions around:
the development of the domain and DNS ecosystem;
internet security and stability;
internet governance;
domain-related policies;
digital technology developments;
community participation in internet development; and
the future of the internet in the Asia-Pacific region.
PANDI and Indonesia’s Role in ICANN87
ICANN87 is also an important moment for Indonesia’s domain ecosystem, as PANDI has been entrusted with the role of local host.
As the manager of Indonesia’s .id domain, PANDI plays an important role in developing Indonesia’s domain name ecosystem.
The presence of ICANN87 in Bali provides an opportunity to showcase the development of Indonesia’s domain industry to the global community while creating opportunities for collaboration with various stakeholders across the international internet ecosystem.
For .id domain users, these developments may seem distant from their everyday online activities. However, policies and discussions within the global internet ecosystem can influence how the domain name system evolves in the future.
It’s Not Just for Technology Experts
Hearing the word ICANN may immediately bring to mind DNS, servers, IP addresses, and other technical terms.
However, discussions about the internet are not limited to technology experts.
The internet is used across almost every aspect of digital life—from business and education to government, social media, and the creative economy.
Whenever someone creates a website, chooses a domain name, runs a digital business, or simply accesses a website, they are already part of a much larger internet ecosystem.
Understanding how the internet is managed is therefore becoming increasingly relevant to anyone who is active in the digital world.
What’s Happening at ICANN87?
ICANN87 will bring together various communities and stakeholders to discuss issues related to the internet.
In addition to policy and technical sessions, ICANN also offers programs designed to encourage participation from younger generations and the broader community.
One of these is NextGen@ICANN, a program that gives university students the opportunity to learn about internet governance, the internet ecosystem, and how policy development processes take place within ICANN.
This highlights an important point: the future of the internet is not shaped solely by technology companies or governments. It also requires the involvement of a new generation of internet users and stakeholders.
Bali Becomes a Meeting Point for the Global Internet Community
ICANN87 was originally planned to take place in Muscat, Oman. However, in June 2026, ICANN announced that the meeting would be relocated to Bali, Indonesia.
ICANN selected the Bali International Convention Centre as the venue for the event. The change was made to ensure that the meeting could proceed as scheduled while supporting global participation.
With this change of venue, Bali will become a meeting point for the global internet community from different parts of the world in October 2026.
What Does This Mean for Us as Internet Users?
We may not follow every discussion at ICANN87. However, there is one important takeaway: the internet we use every day does not simply happen by itself.
Behind every click, website address, and domain name, there is infrastructure, standards, policies, and global cooperation that help keep the internet running.
ICANN87 is one of the spaces where different stakeholders come together to discuss how this ecosystem can continue to evolve.
And this time, those discussions will take place in Indonesia.
So, the next time you open a website or type a domain name into your browser, remember that there is a global ecosystem working behind the scenes to make that experience possible.
ICANN87 in Bali is more than just a technology conference. It is a moment when the global internet community comes together to discuss how the internet we use today—and the internet of tomorrow, can continue to evolve.
