diff --git a/django/__init__.py b/django/__init__.py
index d6d8496f77..f5b23c8639 100644
--- a/django/__init__.py
+++ b/django/__init__.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 from django.utils.version import get_version
 
-VERSION = (1, 11, 0, 'alpha', 1)
+VERSION = (1, 11, 0, 'beta', 1)
 
 __version__ = get_version(VERSION)
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 98495f2362..a75074b9e0 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ setup(
     },
     zip_safe=False,
     classifiers=[
-        'Development Status :: 3 - Alpha',
+        'Development Status :: 4 - Beta',
         'Environment :: Web Environment',
         'Framework :: Django',
         'Intended Audience :: Developers',