🔆 Kubernetes v1.34 - mid cycle updates [Week 8] 🔆
Vyom Yadav
Ahoy Everyone!
TL;DR: 72 enhancements post-Enhancements Freeze. Please be aware of the code, test, docs and blogs deadlines below.
We've crossed the halfway mark for Kubernetes v1.34! The journey has been fairly smooth, all thanks to our contributors so far! Here's what's coming up next
It’s been a few weeks since the Enhancements Freeze, and we are 7 weeks away from the v1.34 release.
Upcoming important dates (v1.34 release schedule):
- Feature blog freeze - Opt In Deadline - 02:00 UTC Friday 11th July 2025 / 19:00 PST Thursday 10th July 2025 (Opening a draft placeholder PR is required for opting in)
- Code Freeze and Test Freeze - 02:00 UTC Friday 25th July 2025 / 19:00 PDT Thursday 24th July 2025
- Docs deadline — PRs ready for review - Tuesday 29th July 2025
- Docs Freeze - Wednesday 6th August 2025
- Feature blogs ready to review - Friday 8th August 2025
- Feature Blog Merge Deadline - 02:00 UTC Friday 15th August 2025 / 19:00 PDT Thursday 14th August 2025
Enhancements
We are now tracking 72 enhancements post-Enhancements Freeze, with 2 exceptions filed and all exception requests approved. You can see all enhancements we are currently tracking on the Github project board.
Feature Blogs
Feature blogs are a great way to spotlight your enhancement and showcase its impact on the community. This is especially encouraged for high-visibility changes as well as deprecations and removals.
The deadline to opt in is 02:00 UTC Friday 11th July 2025 / 19:00 PST Thursday 10th July 2025.
You can view the current opted-in features on the Comms team’s Github board.
If you have opted in, please make sure your blog is 'ready for review by the Friday 8th August 2025' and 'ideally merged by Feature Blog Merge Deadline 02:00 UTC Friday 15th August 2025 / 19:00 PDT Thursday 14th August 2025'.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the comms team in the #release-comms Slack channel!
Documentation
Unless the KEP changes do not require any updates to the website, please open a PR against the `dev-1.34` branch on `kubernetes/website. ' Instructions to create a placeholder PR are here. All enhancements that are determined to require documentation must have their docs PRs in a `ready-to-merge` state by the Docs Freeze - Wednesday 6th August 2025.
Release highlights
For each release, we choose high-impact features to highlight an important part of the release that provides a bird's eye view of improvements, breaking or user-facing changes that are coming as part of the upcoming release. We kindly ask that all SIG Leads and Technical Chairs join in the GitHub discussion before the deadline.
Overall, the v1.34 release has been progressing smoothly, and the alpha-3 release cut is underway as I type this email. Lastly, we thank the SIG leads, KEP authors, PRR reviewers, and other contributors for their continuous commitment and hardwork!
For any questions or feedback, please reach out to us on #sig-release.
Yours Truly,
Vyom Yadav,