Xenial Xerus is next – but when is it released? The release date of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is set for April 21, 2016. Codenamed ‘Xenial Xerus’, Ubuntu 16.04 will be the 6th Long Term Support release of the hugely popular open-source operating system. The first LTS was released in June 2006. Ubuntu 16.04 Xenial Xerus will include the Unity 7 desktop, Linux Kernel 4.4, and a host of updated applications.