ICANN has announced 7 October 2026 as Reveal Day for the 2026 New gTLD Round. At 18:00 UTC, ICANN will publish the applications moving through the program on its Application Publication and Statistics website.
The publication will show which entities applied and for which strings. It will include primary applied-for strings, any applicable variant or replacement strings, contention sets, and the public portions of applications.
Several important milestones follow Reveal Day:
- Replacement Period: 8–21 October 2026. Eligible applicants can switch to an eligible replacement string during this window.
- String Confirmation Day: 17 November 2026. ICANN will publish the final list of applied-for strings and an updated contention-set list.
- Community Input and Objections Period: 17 November 2026–16 March 2027. The community and public can provide input on applications and submit objections.
Applicants may withdraw during the final 10 days after String Confirmation Day and receive a 65 percent refund of the gTLD evaluation fee. The request must be submitted by 23:59 UTC on 27 November 2026.
ICANN also notes that 2026 Round operations will pause for its year-end office closure, from 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. The Prioritization Draw is expected in the first half of 2027, after the String Evaluation Stage.
Read ICANN's announcement for the full milestone details.