OpenTelemetry and Grafana Labs: What’s new and what’s next in 2026

OpenTelemetry has made significant strides in 2025, focusing on stability, ease of use, and cross-project compatibility, setting the stage for further development in 2026. Grafana Labs has been heavily involved, contributing to key milestones such as the introduction of OpenTelemetry eBPF Instrumentation and the stabilization of Semantic Conventions. The project saw over 4,000 contributors in 2025, with notable advancements including the creation of the Instrumentation Explorer and enhancements in various SDKs like .NET, JavaScript, and Rust. Grafana Labs has integrated OpenTelemetry advancements into its products, improving database and fleet management capabilities, and enhancing performance and user experience. The company has also prioritized community engagement, educating practitioners, and expanding its leadership role within the OpenTelemetry community. Looking ahead, OpenTelemetry aims to achieve CNCF Graduated Project status, focusing on further feature stabilization and making application instrumentation more accessible.