Release DataFusion `52.0.0` (Dec 2025 / Jan 2026)

[alamb]

Is your feature request related to a problem or challenge?

Tracking ticket for next release, also a place to track desired inclusions

Previous release will be https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/17558 (Nov, 2025) so next major release would be approximately late Dec 2025 / early Jan 2026

Steps:

• [ ] Create a branch-52 branch:
• [ ] Update version and changelog:
• [ ] Test with DataFusion Python
• [ ] Test with DataFusion Comet
• [ ] Test with delta.rs:
• [ ] Test vortex:
• [ ] Test with iceberg-rust:
• [ ] Test with LakeSail:
• [ ] Test with parquet viewer
• [ ] Test with datafusion-materialized-views
• [ ] Test with ballista
• [ ] Voting Thread:
• [ ] Publish to crates.io
• [ ] Create ticket for next release:
• [ ] Create blog post:

Features to mention in the blog (if they make it)

• [x] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/pull/18457
• [x] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/18075
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/17214
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/17824 from the @theirix / https://github.com/apache/datafusion/pull/17843 from @geoffreyclaude
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/19051
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/pull/16771

Bugs that should be fixed

• [x] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/17801
• [x] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/19029
• [x] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/pull/19003#pullrequestreview-3522518765
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/18824
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/19114
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/19056

Community Wishlist

• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/16919
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/13323
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/arrow-rs/pull/8496
• [ ] https://github.com/apache/datafusion/pull/18025

[milenkovicm]

@alamb is it ok if I add "test with ballista" checkbox to the list ?

[alamb]

@alamb is it ok if I add "test with ballista" checkbox to the list ?

of course -- please do!

[alamb]

TLDR / Ask

If you have things you would like to include in the 52 release (including issues that are already completed) please add them to the "Community Wishlist" item above.

Background

@brancz asked about the status of this release this morning in discord (link) and it came up on the sync meeting this mrining too

One thing @brancz referenced as a motivation for the release are the changes for schema evolution of structs, for example

• https://github.com/apache/datafusion/pull/18998

In my mind there is also some follow on work in this area we probably should include in 52:

• https://github.com/apache/datafusion/pull/19111

@timsaucer mentioned he would like to try and get in some FFI things. Perhaps these (but I don't know)

• https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/18671
• https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/17942
• https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/17374

I think @milenkovicm @timsaucer also may have some thought / ideas as well

p.s. Note we have been talking about a 51.1.0 patch release too:

• https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/18843