MySQL 26.7 EA Arrives: Calendar Versioning Jumps to 26 and Community Edition Evolves

Calendar Versioning Takes MySQL to 26

On July 3, 2026 Oracle released MySQL 26.7.0 Early Access, the first version to use a calendar‑based versioning scheme (YY.M). The new format makes the release month obvious—26.7 means July 2026—allowing users to infer the remaining support window without a separate mapping table.

Two Parallel Release Tracks

MySQL now follows two lines:

Innovation : quarterly releases that advance with the calendar (e.g., 26.7.0 → 26.10.0 → 27.1.0).

LTS : long‑term‑support releases where the YY.M prefix stays fixed for the whole support period. Existing LTS versions 8.4 and 9.7 continue under the old scheme.

What Changed Compared to 9.7.0

1. Version‑Number Infrastructure

The source adds a full calendar‑version validation framework in cmake/mysql_version.cmake, declaring any version between 9.8 and 26.6 illegal. The file also defines MYSQL_PREVIOUS_LTS_VERSION=9.7.0 to enforce the upgrade path.

2. Post‑Quantum Cryptography (PQC) TLS Support

Twenty‑four new system variables enable PQC key‑exchange algorithms for the main channel, management interface, X protocol, and replication channel. At startup a warning appears if PQC is not forced, and with OpenSSL 3.5+ users can enable hybrid schemes such as X25519MLKEM768 or pure ML‑KEM.

3. Change Stream Applier (CSA)

CSA is a brand‑new replication applier that separates apply progress from commit progress, allowing independent transactions to continue while earlier ones are pending. It introduces per‑channel controls APPLIER_VERSION, APPLIER_WORKER_COUNT, and APPLIER_EVENT_MEMORY_LIMIT. Setting APPLIER_VERSION = 2 activates CSA, while the existing multi‑threaded applier ( APPLIER_VERSION = 1) remains for gradual migration. CSA currently works only with row‑based GTID replication; statement‑based or mixed binlog formats are not supported.

4. InnoDB Refactoring

The release abstracts the redo‑log interface, adds a tablespace interface, separates MVCC/ReadView handling, and decouples persistent table metadata from checkpointing. Transaction visibility and MVCC behavior stay unchanged for users, but the internal restructuring improves maintainability and reduces the chance of bugs.

5. Thread‑Pool Plugin in Community Edition

The thread‑pool plugin, previously limited to the Enterprise edition, is now available to community users. It reduces scheduling overhead and InnoDB resource contention in high‑concurrency workloads by limiting the number of active execution threads.

6. Upgrade Progress Reporting

Large‑scale upgrades now include a progress‑reporting feature that makes the compatibility‑check phase observable, helping operators know whether the process is still running or stalled.

Oracle’s Expanded Community Investment

Beyond technical changes, Oracle announced several governance actions:

Creation of the MySQL Steering Committee (members include AWS, Google Cloud, and Oracle) on June 25, 2026.

Publication of MySQL governance documents defining roles such as Contributors, Committers, Mentors, and Project Leads.

Launch of a public Bug Dashboard that tracks bug‑fix progress across Server, Workbench, and Connectors.

Open roadmap hosted as a GitHub Project, covering AI & Cloud, Developer/DBA Experience, Extensibility/Ecosystem, and Performance & Observability.

2026‑2027 Release Schedule

2026‑07‑21 (CPU): 26.7.0 Innovation, 9.7.2 LTS, 8.4.11 LTS

2026‑08‑18 (CSPU): 9.7.3 LTS, 8.4.12 LTS

2026‑09‑15 (CSPU): 9.7.4 LTS, 8.4.13 LTS

2026‑10‑20 (CPU): 26.10.0 Innovation, 9.7.5 LTS, 8.4.14 LTS

2026‑11‑17 (CSPU): 9.7.6 LTS, 8.4.15 LTS

2026‑12‑15 (CSPU): 9.7.7 LTS, 8.4.16 LTS

Innovation releases will continue quarterly in 2027 (27.1, 27.4, 27.7, 27.10), and the next LTS is expected to be 28.4 in April 2028.

Advice for Older Versions

MySQL 8.0 has reached end‑of‑life; users are encouraged to move to 8.4 LTS. Many production systems still run 5.7, which lacks modern features such as JSON, window functions, CTEs, descending indexes, invisible indexes, and security enhancements. Migration from 5.7 to 8.0 typically yields a smarter optimizer and reduced manual tuning, though the effort can be non‑trivial.

Compatible Chinese MySQL‑Like Databases

PingCAP TiDB Enterprise – distributed, high MySQL‑protocol compatibility.

OceanBase – distributed/centralized, MySQL‑mode compatibility.

KingbaseES – centralized, MySQL‑mode compatibility.

TDSQL – distributed, financial‑grade, high compatibility.

Vastbase – centralized, high MySQL‑mode compatibility.

GBase 8c – distributed, MySQL‑mode compatibility.

GoldenDB – distributed, financial‑grade, high compatibility.

PolarDB MySQL Edition – centralized cloud‑native, high compatibility.

GaussDB – distributed, cloud‑native, high compatibility.

HaloDB – centralized, PostgreSQL‑based, MySQL‑mode compatibility.

Hankao Database – centralized, PostgreSQL‑based, MySQL‑mode compatibility.

Yashan Database – centralized, MySQL‑mode compatibility.

Virtual Valley Database – centralized, MySQL syntax compatibility.

These products have mature MySQL compatibility, extensive community documentation, and migration tools.

Conclusion

MySQL 26.7.0 marks a new era for the 30‑year‑old database, with a fundamental version‑number overhaul, several under‑the‑hood improvements, and a clearer governance model. Users interested in the community’s direction can download the EA from MySQL Labs and start testing.