diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index e57ccb1c09..82e9ad1878 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,33 @@
+2025.08-rc1, released August 11th, 2025
+
+	Fixes all over the tree and new features.
+
+	Arch: Add LoongArch64 architecture support
+
+	Toolchains:
+	- ARC toolchain updated to 2024.12
+	- Bootlin external toolchains updated to 2025.08-1
+	- GCC 15.1.0 added, 12.x dropped, 14.x is now default
+	- GCC 13.x updated to 13.4.0, 14.x updated to 14.3.0
+	- Default to Linux 6.16.x kernel headers
+
+	Misc:
+	- Various tweaks to utils/generate-cyclonedx for better SBOM
+	  compatibility and project name/version customization
+
+	New defconfigs: BeagleY-AI, CoolPI 4B, Freescale i.MX91
+	Freedom, LoongArch64 EFI, QEMU LoongArch64 Virt, Raspberrypi
+	Compute Module 5 IO
+
+	New packages: containers-image-config, distribution-registry,
+	llvm-runtimes, lua-lrexlib-pcre2, msgpack-c, opencl-headers,
+	opencl-icd-loader, pocketpy, python-apscheduler, python-crc,
+	python-log-rate-limit, python-sdbus-modemmanager, soapy-sdr,
+	vulkan-sdk
+
+	Removed packages: libebur128, libolm, libwebsock,
+	python-dunamai, python-poetry-dynamic-versioning
+
 2025.05, released June 9th, 2025
 
 	Various fixes.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 540183f16e..203d90510d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ all:
 .PHONY: all
 
 # Set and export the version string
-export BR2_VERSION := 2025.08-git
+export BR2_VERSION := 2025.08-rc1
 # Actual time the release is cut (for reproducible builds)
-BR2_VERSION_EPOCH = 1749500000
+BR2_VERSION_EPOCH = 1754911000
 
 # Save running make version since it's clobbered by the make package
 RUNNING_MAKE_VERSION := $(MAKE_VERSION)
diff --git a/docs/website/download.html b/docs/website/download.html
index df06bf33d4..e21ded6ebd 100644
--- a/docs/website/download.html
+++ b/docs/website/download.html
@@ -75,41 +75,41 @@
 	  <p><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05.tar.xz.sign">PGP signature</a></p>
 	</div>
       </div>
-<!--
-      <h3 style="text-align: center;">Latest release candidate: <b>2025.05-rc2</b></h3>
+
+      <h3 style="text-align: center;">Latest release candidate: <b>2025.08-rc1</b></h3>
       <div class="row mt centered">
 	<div class="col-sm-6">
 	  <div class="flip-container center-block" ontouchstart="this.classList.toggle('hover');">
 	    <div class="flipper">
 	      <div class="front">
-		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.gz"><img src="images/zip.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
+		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.gz"><img src="images/zip.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
 	      </div>
 	      <div class="back">
-		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.gz"><img src="images/zip.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
+		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.gz"><img src="images/zip.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
 	      </div>
 	    </div>
 	  </div>
 
-	  <h3><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.gz">buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.gz</a></h3>
-	  <p><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.gz.sign">PGP signature</a></p>
+	  <h3><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.gz">buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.gz</a></h3>
+	  <p><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.gz.sign">PGP signature</a></p>
 	</div>
 	<div class="col-sm-6">
 	  <div class="flip-container center-block" ontouchstart="this.classList.toggle('hover');">
 	    <div class="flipper">
 	      <div class="front">
-		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.xz"><img src="images/package.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
+		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.xz"><img src="images/package.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
 	      </div>
 	      <div class="back">
-		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.xz"><img src="images/package.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
+		<a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.xz"><img src="images/package.png" width="180" alt=""></a>
 	      </div>
 	    </div>
 	  </div>
 
-	  <h3><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.xz">buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.xz</a></h3>
-	  <p><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.05-rc2.tar.xz.sign">PGP signature</a></p>
+	  <h3><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.xz">buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.xz</a></h3>
+	  <p><a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.xz.sign">PGP signature</a></p>
 	</div>
       </div>
--->
+
       This and earlier releases (and their PGP signatures) can always be downloaded from
       <a href="/downloads/">http://buildroot.net/downloads/</a>.
     </div>
diff --git a/docs/website/news.html b/docs/website/news.html
index 91b3569f12..33cb27d41f 100644
--- a/docs/website/news.html
+++ b/docs/website/news.html
@@ -9,6 +9,27 @@
 <h2>News</h2>
 <ul class="timeline">
 
+  <li>
+    <div class="timeline-badge"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-thumbs-up"></i></div>
+    <div class="timeline-panel">
+      <div class="timeline-heading">
+	<h4 class="timeline-title">2025.08-rc1 released</h4>
+	<p><small class="text-muted"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-time"></i>11 August 2025</small></p>
+      </div>
+      <div class="timeline-body">
+	<p>We have a new release candidate! Lots of changes all over the tree, see the
+          <a href="https://gitlab.com/buildroot.org/buildroot/-/blob/2025.08-rc1/CHANGES">CHANGES</a>
+          file for more details.</p>
+
+	<p>Go to the <a href="/downloads/">downloads page</a> to pick up the
+          <a href="/downloads/buildroot-2025.08-rc1.tar.xz">2025.08-rc1
+            release</a>, and report any problems found to the
+          <a href="support.html">mailing list</a> or
+          <a href="https://gitlab.com/buildroot.org/buildroot/-/issues">bug tracker</a>.</p>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </li>
+
   <li class="timeline-inverted">
     <div class="timeline-badge"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-thumbs-up"></i></div>
     <div class="timeline-panel">