Linux Kernel · Release Calendar

Kernel Release 2026 / 2027

by Guodong Xu, Linux kernel developer at Qualcomm

Release Candidate

Stable Kernel

Merge Window

Cycle Details

Two-week merge window after each release.
Weekly -rc builds, tagged on Sundays.
Final release normally one-week after rc7.
Past dates are actual.
Future dates are predictions and shift by a week whenever Linus needs an rc8.

Ubuntu 26.10 Schedule

Target Kernel Linux 7.3

Feature Freeze Aug 20, 2026

Kernel Feature Freeze Sep 17, 2026

Beta Freeze / HWE Freeze Sep 21, 2026

Kernel Freeze Oct 1, 2026

Final Freeze Oct 8, 2026

Final Release Oct 15, 2026

More Resources

Linux Kernel Release Calendar 2027
U-Boot Release Calendar 2026
Linux Kernel RVA23 Compliance Checker
RVA23 Profile Linux Kernel Coverage Analysis
RVA23 Extension Software Stack Matrix
Arm64 vs RISC-V: Supported Board (DTB) Growth