[ANNOUNCEMENT] Kubernetes v1.36: "ハル (Haru)" is live 🗻🐈🐈‍⬛

[Ryota]

Hi Kubernetes community! 👋🗻

I'm excited to share that Kubernetes v1.36: ハル (Haru) has been released and is now available!

The full story can be found in the announcement blog article [0] with your release highlights and the complete details in the release notes [1].

Packages for v1.36.0 are available via the GitHub Release page [2]. Debian and RPM packages are also available through the corresponding package managers. For full availability details, please refer to the Branch Managers’ announcement [3].

With this release now out in the wild, the v1.36 code freeze has been lifted, and kubernetes/kubernetes and kubernetes/website are thawed. The snow has cleared, and the path ahead is open.

Thank you to everyone who helped carry v1.36 to clear skies, and I’d like to recognize our Release Team [4] along with every lead, shadow, reviewer, and contributor who carried Kubernetes v1.36.0 across the finish line. I'm so proud of you all for a fantastic cycle, and there are some genuinely exciting new features to show for it!

I’d also like to thank the SIG Release leadership, and all SIG Leads and Chairs, for their steady guidance, collaboration and support throughout the cycle.

Personally, I've been a part of the release team since v1.32. It's been such an exciting and amazing journey, and I'm truly honoured to have worked alongside so many bright and talented folks across releases. I dedicate the Haru logo — with its two cats keeping watch over Fuji — to all of you: every maintainer, reviewer, shadow, and contributor who holds this project up. The clear skies this release wishes for are yours as much as anyone's.

We've done it yet again, delivering one of the biggest open-source and infrastructure projects in the world.

Thank you greatly, and congratulations to all on this milestone!

Cheers,
Ryota Sawada

Kubernetes v1.36 Release Lead 🗻🐈🐈‍⬛
On behalf of the Release Team

[0]: https://kubernetes.io/blog/2026/04/22/kubernetes-v1-36-release/
[1]: https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/master/CHANGELOG/CHANGELOG-1.36.md
[2]: https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/releases/tag/v1.36.0
[3]: https://groups.google.com/a/kubernetes.io/g/dev/c/3IDgevSOvnY
[4]: https://github.com/kubernetes/sig-release/blob/master/releases/release-1.36/release-team.md