The application window for the 2026 New gTLD Program opened back in April and closes August 12, giving prospective applicants less than two weeks left to get in. Payment is due fast too: ICANN needs the full amount within seven days of the window closing, or it cancels the application outright. Applicants can pursue city names, but only with documented government support, plus an additional geographic review layered on top of standard evaluation. The application window closes August 12, well before that October announcement, meaning any serious bid for this round had to already go in before anyone heard about it publicly. Once the window closes, ICANN will publish the full list of applied-for strings, the moment everyone finds out which companies, cities, and entrepreneurs actually put $227,000 down.