Getting Set for More

With 2026 underway, Drupal core has finalised the platform requirements for its next major release, Drupal 12, setting a clear technical direction. The minimum requirements now include PHP 8.5 and recent stable versions of key databases—MySQL 8.0, MariaDB 10.11, PostgreSQL 18, and SQLite 3.45—signalling alignment with upstream standards and long-term ecosystem readiness.

These changes aren’t arbitrary: they reflect Drupal’s maturing release policy, which increasingly coordinates with upstream lifecycles to minimise friction and technical debt. The shift to development on the main branch of core simplifies contribution and release management, while release planning threads outline multiple windows—mid-June, late July, or December—depending on when beta readiness is achieved.

With active development on Composer 2.9+ and updated deprecation tooling already in place, 2026 offers an opportunity for developers and site owners to plan methodically. By aligning hosting stacks and project roadmaps early, teams can prepare for a smoother transition to Drupal 12 when it arrives. The support window for Drupal 10 remains open through December 2026, offering a stable fallback as the next cycle unfolds.