diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f186826ce4648f04248657c7557f0671707aafaa..bd4ca806513e61d6873d96a3f6cf3cae4c03d835 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -23,5 +23,5 @@ if(ROOT_VERSION MATCHES "^6\\.2[2-4].*")
 endif()
 
 # Declare project name and version
-gaudi_project(Phys v26r7
-              USE Rec v24r6)
+gaudi_project(Phys v26r8
+              USE Rec v24r7)
diff --git a/ReleaseNotes/v26r8.md b/ReleaseNotes/v26r8.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..f031bc99c7f43b11cdd80ef13b389203d3b36eeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ReleaseNotes/v26r8.md
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+2021-07-04 Phys v26r8
+===
+
+This version uses Rec v24r7, Lbcom v23r0p7, LHCb v45r7, Gaudi v36r0 and LCG100 with ROOT 6.24.00.
+
+This version is released on `run2-patches` branch and is intended for use with Run1 or Run2 data. For Run3, use a version released on `master` branch
+
+Built relative to Phys [v26r7](../-/tags/v26r7), with the following changes:
+
+### New features ~"new feature"
+
+- ~"Flavour tagging" | Added inclusive tagger version 140521, !947 (@vjevtic)
+
+
+### Fixes ~"bug fix" ~workaround
+
+- ~Jets | Fix memory link in particle flow algorithms, !963 (@sfarry)
+- ~Build | Extend the unknown-attributes warning workaround to ROOT 6.24, !958 (@cattanem)
+- JIRA-LHCBPS-1886, !914 (@ibelyaev) [LHCBPS-1886]
+- Bug fix: correct typo "*" -> "**" in Hlt2TISSelection, !911 (@mwilkins)
+- Cherry pick StdLooseDetachedTau changes (run2-patches), !898 (@masmith)
+
+
+### Enhancements ~enhancement
+
+- Add NoPID upstream muons (cherry pick for run2-patches), !897 (@masmith)
+
+
+### Code cleanups and changes to tests ~modernisation ~cleanup ~testing
+
+- Fix or ignore untested StatusCodes exposed by Gaudi v36 and clang11, !960 (@cattanem)
+- Remove usage of errorsPrint() method, to follow gaudi/Gaudi!1140, !946 (@cattanem)
+- Fixes for LCG 99 (run2-patches), !915 (@masmith)
+
+
+### Other
+
+- ~Functors | BPVMASSMOMCONSTR, !892 (@decianm)
+- Adapt to drop of StatusCode check via StatusCodeSvc, !952 (@clemenci)