diff --git a/_static/foss4g2025.png b/_static/foss4g2025.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..382f28559f6
Binary files /dev/null and b/_static/foss4g2025.png differ
diff --git a/_templates/indexsidebar.html b/_templates/indexsidebar.html
index e51302ac75d..121909740e8 100644
--- a/_templates/indexsidebar.html
+++ b/_templates/indexsidebar.html
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ <h3>Navigation</h3>
 <p>MapServer is a project of the <a href="https://www.osgeo.org/" target="_blank">
 Open Source Geospatial Foundation</a>.</p>
 <p>
-<a href="https://2024.foss4g.org/" target="_blank">
-    <img src="{{ pathto("_static/foss4g2024.png", 1) }}" alt="FOSS4G" border="0px; text-decoration:none" />
+<a href="https://2025.foss4g.org/" target="_blank">
+    <img src="{{ pathto("_static/foss4g2025.png", 1) }}" alt="FOSS4G" border="0px; text-decoration:none" />
 </a>
 </p>
 <p>If you find MapServer useful, please consider supporting the team with a donation:</p>
diff --git a/en/announcements/announcements_archive.txt b/en/announcements/announcements_archive.txt
index 29817666176..cd74ae7d5c8 100644
--- a/en/announcements/announcements_archive.txt
+++ b/en/announcements/announcements_archive.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@
  MapServer Announcement Archives
 *****************************************************************************
 
+**2025-01-08 - MapServer 8.4.0-rc1 is released**
+
+The first release candidate for MapServer 8.4.0 has been released. The list of
+major changes for this release can be found in the :ref:`8.4 announcement <announce-8-4>`.
+See the :ref:`changelog <changelog-8-4-0-rc1>`
+for the full list of changes and head to :ref:`download` to obtain a copy.
+
 **2024-12-14 - MapServer 8.4.0-beta2 is released**
 
 The second beta for MapServer 8.4 has been released. The list of
diff --git a/en/development/announce/8-4.txt b/en/development/announce/8-4.txt
index 55af544b6f5..6a17b2fd97d 100644
--- a/en/development/announce/8-4.txt
+++ b/en/development/announce/8-4.txt
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 .. _announce-8-4:
 
 *****************************************************************************
-Version 8.4.0-beta2 Announcement
+Version 8.4.0-rc1 Announcement
 *****************************************************************************
 
 :Authors: Project Steering Committee
-:Drafted: 2024-12-14
+:Drafted: 2025-01-08
 
-The MapServer Team is pleased to announce the second beta of the major release of 
+The MapServer Team is pleased to announce the first release candidate of the major release of 
 MapServer 8.4.0
 
 This 8.4 release will bring a number of major new features that are briefly 
diff --git a/en/development/changelog/changelog-8-4.txt b/en/development/changelog/changelog-8-4.txt
index 3f721e00d1b..66afbb9d979 100644
--- a/en/development/changelog/changelog-8-4.txt
+++ b/en/development/changelog/changelog-8-4.txt
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@
 The summary of major changes for this release can be found in the `HISTORY.md <https://github.com/MapServer/MapServer/blob/branch-8-4/HISTORY.md>`__
 file from the source directory.
 
+.. _changelog-8-4-0-rc1:
+
+Changes from 8.4.0-beta2 to 8.4.0-rc1
+=======================================
+
+* update copyright year (Jeff McKenna) : `aac86c8 <https://github.com/mapserver/mapserver/commit/aac86c899ae29923b13ce3d690a2a740c48777c5>`__
+* Add stdbool.h inclusion in mapserver.h (Even Rouault) : `028d99d <https://github.com/mapserver/mapserver/commit/028d99d5ff840c294e17c9af8100bf3a7c5076fb>`__
+
 .. _changelog-8-4-0-beta2:
 
 Changes from 8.4.0-beta1 to 8.4.0-beta2
diff --git a/en/download.txt b/en/download.txt
index f228e8e018a..aa96d5c02a0 100644
--- a/en/download.txt
+++ b/en/download.txt
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Current Release(s)
 
 * MapServer
 
-  * **2024-12-14** MapServer-8.4.0-beta2 `tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-beta2.tar.gz>`__ | `.zip <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-beta2.zip>`__ | :ref:`Changelog <changelog-8-4>`
+  * **2025-01-08** MapServer-8.4.0-rc1 `tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-rc1.tar.gz>`__ | `.zip <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-rc1.zip>`__ | :ref:`Changelog <changelog-8-4>`
   * **2024-09-02** MapServer-8.2.2 `tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.2.2.tar.gz>`__ | `.zip <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.2.2.zip>`__ | :ref:`Changelog <changelog-8-2>`
   * **2024-06-11** MapServer-8.0.2 `tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.0.2.tar.gz>`__ | :ref:`Changelog <changelog-8-0>`
   * **2024-07-21** MapServer-7.6.7 `tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-7.6.7.tar.gz>`__ | `.zip <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-7.6.7.zip>`__ | :ref:`Changelog <changelog-7-6>`
diff --git a/en/download_archives.txt b/en/download_archives.txt
index 2da0f141c6a..38789129233 100644
--- a/en/download_archives.txt
+++ b/en/download_archives.txt
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ Past Releases
 Development Releases
 ..............................................................................
 
+* **2025-01-08** MapServer-8.4.0-rc1 `tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-rc1.tar.gz>`__ | `.zip <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-rc1.zip>`__ | :ref:`Changelog <changelog-8-4>`
+
 * **2024-12-14** MapServer-8.4.0-beta2 `tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-beta2.tar.gz>`__ | `.zip <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.4.0-beta2.zip>`__ | :ref:`Changelog <changelog-8-4>`
 
 * **2024-06-28** `mapserver-8.2.0-rc3.tar.gz <https://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-8.2.0-rc3.tar.gz>`__ :ref:`Changelog <changelog-8-2-0-rc3>`
diff --git a/en/include/announcements.inc b/en/include/announcements.inc
index 59bc406d884..f4ce216f99c 100644
--- a/en/include/announcements.inc
+++ b/en/include/announcements.inc
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+**2025-01-08 - MapServer 8.4.0-rc1 is released**
+
+The first release candidate for MapServer 8.4.0 has been released. The list of
+major changes for this release can be found in the :ref:`8.4 announcement <announce-8-4>`.
+See the :ref:`changelog <changelog-8-4-0-rc1>`
+for the full list of changes and head to :ref:`download` to obtain a copy.
+
 **2024-12-14 - MapServer 8.4.0-beta2 is released**
 
 The second beta for MapServer 8.4 has been released. The list of