NeurIPS 2026 · First time here
Start here
How the conference works, how a day runs, what to prioritise and what to sort out before you travel.
The short answer
NeurIPS 2026 runs at three sites at once: Sydney from 6 to 12 December, and Atlanta and Paris from 9 to 13 December. Pick the site you are registered for, sort out entry and your hotel first, then choose a few talks and one poster session a day.
Checked against official pages on Mon 2 Nov 2026.
What NeurIPS is
NeurIPS, the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, is an annual research conference on machine learning and related fields. In 2026 it runs at a main site in Sydney and satellite sites in Atlanta and Paris.
The programme mixes invited talks, oral and poster sessions, tutorials, workshops, competitions, an expo with company talks and demonstrations, and community events run by affinity groups.
- Official site
- All official information starts here, including anything that changes after this page was checked. NeurIPS 2026
- Beware of scams
- NeurIPS says its website is the only authorised source for registration and housing, and that it has no partnership with third parties collecting those details. NeurIPS 2026
Which site is yours
Pick the site you are registered for: tickets are sold per site and per product, and each accepted paper is presented at the site allocated to it. No official page says that one in-person ticket works at more than one city.
- Expo
- Tutorials
- Main conference
- Workshops
How a day runs
A main conference day is long. This is Tuesday 8 December in Sydney, from the official schedule: talks in the morning and afternoon, a poster session at each end of the day, and community events in the evening.
09:00to 10:00
Scaling Experience in the Wild: Building the Industrial Learning Loop
Invited talk, TikTok Entertainment Centre
10:00to 13:00
Sydney Poster Session 1
Poster session, Hall 1-4
13:30to 14:00
Test of Time Award
Award, TikTok Entertainment Centre
14:00to 15:00
Barbara Engelhardt
Invited talk
15:30to 16:30
5 × oral session
Oral session
17:00to 20:00
Sydney Poster Session 2
Poster session, Hall 1-4
What to prioritise
QRS advice, not official
First time at NeurIPS
Choose one invited talk a day, then walk one poster session with a short list of papers rather than trying to see everything. Keep an evening free for a social or an affinity event.
Presenting a paper
Plan the rest of your week around your session. Print early, arrive with your poster half an hour before, and use your other poster slots to meet people working on your topic.
Following one topic
Filter the schedule by research area and put the relevant workshops first: they are the smallest rooms and the closest conversations. Then add the poster sessions that hold most of your area.
Here for companies or careers
Look at the Expo and the Exhibit Hall hours for your site, and at which organisations present the most papers. Sydney holds its Expo Day on Sunday 6 December, before the main conference starts.
Before you travel
You can tick these off, and set your site and reason for going on the home page.
- Check your ticketOn 2 November the Sydney and Atlanta in-person tickets were shown as sold out, with places released daily from the waitlist. Paris was sold out to non-presenting authors and its waitlist was closed. Waitlist Read more
- Cancel by 4 November if you cannot goFull refunds end on 4 November 2026, Anywhere on Earth for Sydney and Atlanta and CET for Paris. The Author Registration page says 5 November, so use the earlier date. Pricing
- Reserve child care by 6 NovemberSydney and Atlanta child care is free for registered attendees, with limited places and no onsite reservations. The Dates page lists 7 November 01:00 UTC, so use the earlier date. Children
- Sort out entryRules depend on your passport, and each city guide links the official pages. NeurIPS issues invitation letters only to registered in-person attendees, and advises applying for Australia 6 to 8 weeks before travel. Visa Read more
- Book your hotelOfficial rates in Sydney and Atlanta are only through the Housing Portal; Paris uses Revolugo. Our Hotels page compares stays in all three cities. Hotels Read more
- Order your poster by 4 NovemberThis is the advance deadline for Sydney printing, 11 pm AEST. Collect it at Exhibition Centre, Level 2, Registration Desk 3. Poster Information Read more
- Order your poster by 25 NovemberAtlanta printing closes at 11 pm PDT. Collect it from the Foyer of Hall C2. Poster Information Read more
- Order your poster by 30 NovemberParis printing closes at 11 pm CET. Collect it at Paris Congress Center, Level 1, Hall Passy. Poster Information Read more
- Send your video by 13 NovemberA pre-recorded SlidesLive video is strongly recommended but not required. Poster Information Read more
- Read your city guideAirport, transit, food and what is still unpublished for your site. Read more
- Pick your sessionsAdd what matters to My plan, settle any clashes, and subscribe to the calendar feed so room changes reach your phone. Read more
Socials and affinity groups
- Affinity events
- Groups include Africa in AI, GlobalSouthAI, LatinX in AI, Muslims in ML, New in ML, Queer in AI and WiML. Dates differ by site, and each is in the schedule. NeurIPS blog
- Find them here
- In the schedule, filter by Social and community for your city.
Children and families
- Sydney and Atlanta
- Free for registered attendees, first come first served, for ages 4 months to 13 years, with meals provided. A parent or guardian must stay on site. Corporate Kidz runs Sydney; KiddieCorp runs Atlanta, in GWCC Building C. Children
- Paris
- Free, first come first served, for ages 8 months to 13 years, through a personal link emailed by the registration team. Meals are not included. Cancelling after 9 November or not showing up costs 60 euros per half day. Children
- Ages 14 to 17
- The Children page allows minors with a guardian only if the conference is not sold out. Under 14 cannot attend in person, apart from nursing infants with a guardian. Children
Badges, conduct and help
- Badge
- You cannot enter without one. A first replacement costs full price and is refunded only if both badges are returned to the registration desk within 24 hours. Badge FAQ
- Scanning
- The QR code on a badge holds your contact information, and exhibitors and attendees can scan it. Scanning FAQ
- Code of Conduct
- Report concerns to hotline@neurips.cc. An HR consultant is at the conference: look for signs or ask at the registration desk. Reports during the conference get a response within 24 hours. Code of Conduct
- Accessibility
- Ask through the NeurIPS Contact page, under Next Generation and Accessibility. Diversity and Inclusion
- Lost and found
- At the registration desk during open hours, otherwise building security. Lost and Found FAQ
- Certificate
- A certificate of attendance can be emailed after the meeting only if you checked in in person. Certificate FAQ
Still to come
Not published yet
- Where and when to collect your badge, at all three sites
- Whether lunch is included in Sydney and Atlanta tickets
- Conference Wi-Fi details
- The name of the official mobile app, and where to download it