Azure AKS Kubernetes Version End of Life Dates
Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) supports three Kubernetes minor versions at a time: the latest generally available one and the two before it. Kubernetes 1.34 on AKS reaches end of life in November 2026, and 1.33 reached it in July 2026. Microsoft publishes these dates by month, not by day, on its AKS supported Kubernetes versions page, so treat the month as the plan and the AKS release notes as the final word.
The AKS calendar
| Kubernetes version | AKS general availability | End of life on AKS | End of life with long-term support enabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.36 | June 2026 | June 2027 | June 2027 |
| 1.35 | March 2026 | March 2027 | March 2027 |
| 1.34 | November 2025 | November 2026 | November 2026 |
| 1.33 | June 2025 | July 2026 | July 2026 |
| 1.32 | April 2025 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
Months are as Microsoft prints them. Our AKS lifecycle page stores each month as its last day so it can be sorted and counted down; where Microsoft gives an exact day, that day is used. Our build re-reads Microsoft's page and fails if any month in this table changes.
How the policy works
- Three supported versions. AKS supports the latest generally available minor version and the two before it. When AKS releases a new minor version, the oldest of the three goes out of support 30 days later. Microsoft says it announces the dates in the AKS release notes at least 30 days ahead.
- Platform support for one more version. The version just behind the supported three gets a reduced plan Microsoft calls platform support: help with AKS and Azure platform issues only. Problems in Kubernetes itself are not covered.
- Long-term support is an option, not the default. Microsoft's calendar lists a long-term support end of life for each version, one year after its standard one, but you have to enable long-term support on the cluster to get it.
- The practical cadence. Microsoft's page says that with upstream Kubernetes supporting each version for about a year, upgrading at least once a year keeps an AKS cluster on a supported version.
What to do
- On 1.32 or older: outside the supported three. Upgrade now, one minor version at a time.
- On 1.33: past its standard end of life. Either upgrade or enable long-term support, which runs to July 2027.
- On 1.34: supported until November 2026. Schedule the move to 1.35 or 1.36 before then, and check your manifests for APIs removed in the target version first; Azure Advisor flags these.
- Compare with the upstream date. The managed service and the open source project keep different calendars. See Kubernetes upstream versions, and for other clouds the Amazon EKS guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Kubernetes 1.34 reach end of life on AKS?
Microsoft's AKS release calendar gives the end of life for Kubernetes 1.34 on AKS as November 2026. Microsoft publishes the month, not a day. With the long-term support option enabled, 1.34 is covered until November 2027.
How many Kubernetes versions does AKS support?
Three generally available minor versions at a time: the latest one and the two before it. When AKS releases a new minor version, the oldest supported one goes out of support 30 days later. One further version back gets platform support only, which covers Azure platform issues and not Kubernetes itself.
What happens if my AKS cluster is on an unsupported Kubernetes version?
The cluster keeps running, but Microsoft makes no runtime or other guarantees for it, and asks you to upgrade to a supported version when you request support, apart from a 30-day grace period after a version is removed. If a cluster falls more than three minor versions behind and carries security risks, Microsoft says it will contact you and reserves the right to upgrade the cluster for you.
Does AKS have long-term support?
Yes, as an option you have to enable. Microsoft's calendar lists a long-term support end of life for each version, one year after its standard end of life: for example, standard support for 1.33 ends in July 2026 and long-term support for it ends in July 2027.
Related
- Azure Kubernetes Service — every version, live status and EOL Risk Score
- Kubernetes end of life
- Amazon EKS end of life
- Azure retirements in September 2026