Grafana 8.1 introduces several enhancements and new features to its open observability platform, building on the capabilities of Grafana 8.0. Key additions include the Geomap panel, which replaces the WorldMap panel and offers options like custom base tile layers and various map themes, and the Annotations panel, which provides a configurable view for managing annotations across dashboards. The update also enhances existing panels, adding features such as line coloring by threshold values in the Time Series panel and dynamic panel configuration from query results. Additionally, Grafana 8.1 improves logs and traces exploration with a new Prettify JSON option and adjusts default query behaviors. Plugin management sees a UX overhaul, allowing plugins to be loaded without restarting Grafana, and data source improvements include time zone support in MySQL and new features for Elasticsearch. Enterprise features expand fine-grained access control and reporting scheduler flexibility, while white labeling allows for customization of the loading logo. The release also includes various bug fixes and invites users to explore the updates through documentation and community forums.