diff --git a/.github/workflows/install-testing.yml b/.github/workflows/install-testing.yml
index 8da6a84f1caeb..af53ff08fb11b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/install-testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/install-testing.yml
@@ -94,11 +94,12 @@ jobs:
           - db-version: '9.3'
           - db-version: '9.4'
           - db-version: '9.5'
+          - db-version: '9.6'
           # MySQL 9.0+ will not work on PHP 7.2 & 7.3. See https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/61218.
           - php: '7.2'
-            db-version: '9.6'
+            db-version: '9.7'
           - php: '7.3'
-            db-version: '9.6'
+            db-version: '9.7'
 
     services:
       database:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/local-docker-environment.yml b/.github/workflows/local-docker-environment.yml
index d42bba623ec64..b786cc2419c03 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/local-docker-environment.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/local-docker-environment.yml
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ jobs:
           - db-version: '9.3'
           - db-version: '9.4'
           - db-version: '9.5'
+          - db-version: '9.6'
           # No PHP 8.5 + Memcached support yet.
           - php: '8.5'
             memcached: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/phpunit-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/phpunit-tests.yml
index 74dfc220c04a6..f46b419656a44 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/phpunit-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/phpunit-tests.yml
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
         os: [ ubuntu-24.04 ]
         php: [ '7.4', '8.0', '8.1', '8.2', '8.3', '8.4', '8.5' ]
         db-type: [ 'mysql' ]
-        db-version: [ '5.7', '8.0', '8.4' ]
+        db-version: [ '5.7', '8.0', '8.4', '9.7' ]
         tests-domain: [ 'example.org' ]
         multisite: [ false, true ]
         memcached: [ false ]
@@ -209,15 +209,13 @@ jobs:
         os: [ ubuntu-24.04 ]
         php: [ '7.4', '8.0', '8.1', '8.2', '8.3', '8.4', '8.5' ]
         db-type: [ 'mysql', 'mariadb' ]
-        db-version: [ '9.6', '12.1' ]
+        db-version: [ '12.1' ]
         multisite: [ false, true ]
         memcached: [ false ]
         db-innovation: [ true ]
 
         exclude:
           # Exclude version combinations that don't exist.
-          - db-type: 'mariadb'
-            db-version: '9.6'
           - db-type: 'mysql'
             db-version: '12.1'
     with:
@@ -283,14 +281,14 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         php: [ '7.4', '8.4' ]
-        db-version: [ '8.4', '11.8' ]
+        db-version: [ '9.7', '11.8' ]
         db-type: [ 'mysql', 'mariadb' ]
         multisite: [ false ]
 
         include:
           # Include one multisite job for each database type.
           - php: '8.4'
-            db-version: '8.4'
+            db-version: '9.7'
             db-type: 'mysql'
             multisite: true
           - php: '8.4'
@@ -299,13 +297,13 @@ jobs:
             multisite: true
           # Test with memcached.
           - php: '8.4'
-            db-version: '8.4'
+            db-version: '9.7'
             db-type: 'mysql'
             multisite: true
             memcached: true
           # Run specific test groups once.
           - php: '8.4'
-            db-version: '8.4'
+            db-version: '9.7'
             db-type: 'mysql'
             phpunit-test-groups: 'html-api-html5lib-tests'
 
@@ -314,7 +312,7 @@ jobs:
           - db-type: 'mysql'
             db-version: '11.8'
           - db-type: 'mariadb'
-            db-version: '8.4'
+            db-version: '9.7'
 
     with:
       php: ${{ matrix.php }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/upgrade-testing.yml b/.github/workflows/upgrade-testing.yml
index 1e54a946c03eb..088f334b0a555 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/upgrade-testing.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/upgrade-testing.yml
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ jobs:
         os: [ 'ubuntu-24.04' ]
         php: [ '7.4', '8.0', '8.1', '8.2', '8.3', '8.4', '8.5' ]
         db-type: [ 'mysql' ]
-        db-version: [ '5.7', '8.0', '8.4', '9.6' ]
+        db-version: [ '5.7', '8.0', '8.4', '9.7' ]
         wp: [ '6.8', '6.9', '7.0-RC3' ]
         multisite: [ false, true ]
     with:
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ jobs:
         os: [ 'ubuntu-24.04' ]
         php: [ '7.4' ]
         db-type: [ 'mysql' ]
-        db-version: [ '5.7', '8.0', '8.4', '9.6' ]
+        db-version: [ '5.7', '8.0', '8.4', '9.7' ]
         wp: [ '4.7' ]
         multisite: [ false, true ]
     with:
diff --git a/.version-support-mysql.json b/.version-support-mysql.json
index 6e81f2eff0f09..7ab8aa38df392 100644
--- a/.version-support-mysql.json
+++ b/.version-support-mysql.json
@@ -1,12 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"7-1": [
-		"9.6",
-		"9.5",
-		"9.4",
-		"9.3",
-		"9.2",
-		"9.1",
-		"9.0",
+		"9.7",
 		"8.4",
 		"8.0",
 		"5.7",