Joomla 6.1 Release Candidate - Test the final package

Details: Created: 31 March 2026

The Joomla! Project is pleased to announce the availability of Joomla 6.1 Release Candidate for testing.

What is this release for?

There are two main goals for Beta releases:

Providing developers with the basis to test their extensions and reporting any issues well before the final release
Allowing users to discover the new features introduced to Joomla 6.1.

For a complete list of known backward compatibility issues for version 6.1, please see Potential backward compatibility issues in Joomla 6.1 on the documentation site.

What is this release NOT for?

This beta version of Joomla 6.1 is not suitable for production sites. It is for testing only.

Where to get it?

Download Joomla 6.1 Release Candidat

To always use the latest build of Joomla 6.1, we invite you to use the nightly build packages (updated every night).

To make it easier for newcomers, you can launch a free Joomla 6 website for testing at launch.joomla.org.

When is the final release due?

Joomla! 6.1 (general availability) will be released on or about 14th April 2026. The planned milestones are:

Alpha:

Alpha1: 25. November 2025
Alpha2: 23. December 2025
Alpha3: 20. January 2026

Beta (Feature Freeze)

Beta1: 17. February 2026
Beta2: 03. March 2026
Beta3: 17. March 2026

Release Candidate (Language Freeze)

RC1: 31. March 2026 (this release)

Stable Release

14. April 2026

Please note that dates may be subject to change depending on the availability of volunteers and circumstances beyond our control.

What’s new in Joomla 6.1 Release Candidate?

We are firmly committed to making the next generation of Joomla the best. These are the features that have been committed to version 6.1. Since we are passed the Beta stage, no new features will be implemented.

Authors of Merged Pull Requests

The Joomla project is very thankful for the contributions from the following authors: Fedir Zinchuk, Allon Moritz, Harald Leitner.

What are the plans for Joomla 6.1?

As it is a release candidate, we now have a language freeze. From now on, no pull requests touching the language files will be merged unless absolutely necessary (e.g., by fixing a critical bug). We are two weeks away from a stable release, so the task is now: test, test, test.

To learn more about our development strategy, please read this article.

How can you help Joomla 6.1 development?

To help ensure the 6.1 release and our major features are “production-ready”, we need your help testing releases and reporting any bugs you may find at issues.joomla.org.

Most of all, we encourage extension developers to roll up their sleeves, seek out bugs and test their extensions with Joomla 6.1 and communicate their experience.

Where can I find documentation about Joomla 6.1?

We encourage developers to help write the documentation about Joomla 6.1 on manual.joomla.org to help and guide users and other extension developers.

We invite you to check it regularly, update it and provide the missing content.

Related information

If you are an extension developer, please make sure you subscribe to the extension developer channel https://joomlacommunity.cloud.mattermost.com/main/channels/extension-development-room

Where you can join the community of extension developers.

A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers!

A big thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to the release!

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