ICML 2026 Registration Update: Capacity Limits and What Attendees Need to Know

ICML 2026 will be held at the Seoul COEX Convention & Exhibition Center this July, and registration has reached a scale that requires us to communicate clearly with the community about what to expect.

As of this week, we are very close to capacity for the event, and we are still weeks out from the start. Registration trends are faster than they have been in previous years, and we are taking steps now to manage that responsibly. 

Registration cap in place

After reviewing venue logistics, WiFi infrastructure, and the practical limits of the conference space, the organizing team has set a cap on total in-person registrations, marginally below the legal limit for the venue. This slight breathing room will enable a significantly more pleasant logistical experience for attendees.

“ICML has always been a conference built around the quality of scientific exchange,” said Kamalika Chaudhuri President of the ICML Board. “Setting a registration cap is not a decision we take lightly, but it reflects our commitment to making sure that when you come to Seoul, you can actually do the things you came to do: hear the talks, have the conversations, and engage with the work.”

General registration for the main conference is expected to sell out.

Within the total cap, registrations are being held in reserve for accepted paper authors who have not yet registered, sponsors with outstanding complimentary registrations, and workshop organizers with outstanding complimentary registrations. Authors in that group have already been contacted directly.

The number of tickets available for general public purchase is very limited. If you are planning to attend and have not yet registered, we encourage you not wait.

A few things to note:

• Early registration ends today, May 24 (AoE). Registration may reach the cap prior to then.
• In-person attendance is not required for publication. If you are not planning to come to Seoul, at least one virtual registration is required, though this is not subject to the registration cap.
• If you require a visa, register before requesting your letter of invitation.
• Cancellations are eligible for a full refund until June 15, 2026. No refunds will be issued after that date.

Workshops are not affected

As workshops are held on separate days from the main conference, they have their own independent cap on registrations. In particular, workshop registrations are not yet near capacity, and thus we are not applying a similar cap at this time. Prompt registration is still encouraged, and we will reevaluate if registration numbers approach capacity. 

A note on WiFi

Wireless connectivity at the venue has real limitations, and we want to be straightforward about this now rather than after you have arrived. We have invested in the strongest internet access the venue has to offer, but we are also pushing the limits of venue capacity. Thus, crowded areas, particularly the plenary hall, should be anticipated to have degraded or unreliable internet access. Keynotes will be streamed into multiple rooms to distribute attendance. The ICML mobile app stores the schedule locally and does not require a connection to function. We encourage all attendees to download it before traveling, and printing or saving your schedule locally is a reasonable precaution.

We will share more detail about WiFi conditions and logistics as the conference approaches. Further updates will be posted to the ICML 2026 website. If you have any questions or run into issues, please contact the team using the official ICML contact page.