diff --git a/django/__init__.py b/django/__init__.py
index 0b70945be2..8737ce5a78 100644
--- a/django/__init__.py
+++ b/django/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from django.utils.version import get_version
 
-VERSION = (2, 1, 0, 'alpha', 1)
+VERSION = (2, 1, 0, 'beta', 1)
 
 __version__ = get_version(VERSION)
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 22c1c68e43..1760f815bd 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ setup(
     },
     zip_safe=False,
     classifiers=[
-        'Development Status :: 3 - Alpha',
+        'Development Status :: 4 - Beta',
         'Environment :: Web Environment',
         'Framework :: Django',
         'Intended Audience :: Developers',