diff --git a/api_docs/changelog.md b/api_docs/changelog.md
index 2553f235c3..d84a4f13de 100644
--- a/api_docs/changelog.md
+++ b/api_docs/changelog.md
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@ clients should check the `zulip_feature_level` field, present in the
 /register`](/api/register-queue) responses, to determine the API
 format used by the Zulip server that they are interacting with.
 
+## Changes in Zulip 8.0
+
+Feature levels 186-187 are reserved for future use in 7.x maintenance
+releases.
+
 ## Changes in Zulip 7.0
 
 **Feature level 185**
diff --git a/docs/overview/changelog.md b/docs/overview/changelog.md
index 9edcba737c..9c199dc156 100644
--- a/docs/overview/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/overview/changelog.md
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 # Version history
 
-This page contains the release history for the Zulip 7.x stable
-release series. See the [current Zulip changelog][latest-changelog]
-for newer release series, or the [commit log][commit-log] for an
-up-to-date list of all changes.
+This page contains the release history for the Zulip server. See also the
+[Zulip release lifecycle](../overview/release-lifecycle.md).
+
+## Zulip 8.x series
+
+### 8.0 -- unreleased
+
+This section is an incomplete draft of the release notes for the next
+major release, and is only updated occasionally. See the [commit
+log][commit-log] for an up-to-date list of all changes.
+
+#### Upgrade notes for 8.0
+
+- None yet.
 
 ## Zulip 7.x series
 
@@ -3205,6 +3215,7 @@ running a version from before 1.7 should upgrade directly to 1.7.1.
 This section links to the upgrade notes from past releases, so you can
 easily read them all when upgrading across multiple releases.
 
+- [Draft upgrade notes for 8.0](#upgrade-notes-for-80)
 - [Upgrade notes for 7.0](#upgrade-notes-for-70)
 - [Upgrade notes for 6.0](#upgrade-notes-for-60)
 - [Upgrade notes for 5.0](#upgrade-notes-for-50)
diff --git a/version.py b/version.py
index 5a3ab0f2ae..eb50f68cb4 100644
--- a/version.py
+++ b/version.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import os
 
-ZULIP_VERSION = "7.0"
+ZULIP_VERSION = "8.0-dev+git"
 
 # Add information on number of commits and commit hash to version, if available
 zulip_git_version_file = os.path.join(
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ ZULIP_MERGE_BASE = lines.pop(0).strip()
 
 LATEST_MAJOR_VERSION = "7.0"
 LATEST_RELEASE_VERSION = "7.0"
-LATEST_RELEASE_ANNOUNCEMENT = "https://blog.zulip.com/2022/11/17/zulip-6-0-released/"
+LATEST_RELEASE_ANNOUNCEMENT = "https://blog.zulip.com/2023/05/31/zulip-7-0-released/"
 
 # Versions of the desktop app below DESKTOP_MINIMUM_VERSION will be
 # prevented from connecting to the Zulip server.  Versions above