diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index dcb5ad6e455..c9954ef5be7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Changelog
 
-## main / unreleased
+## 2.12.0-rc.0
 
 ### Grafana Mimir
 
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 46b81d815a2..fa9446ca3a5 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.11.0
+2.12.0-rc.0