diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
index 8fdd2bd7e1..5043b37acc 100644
--- a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ body:
         * Hardware _(eg. HPC, Desktop, Cloud)_
         * Executor _(eg. slurm, local, awsbatch)_
         * OS _(eg. CentOS Linux, macOS, Linux Mint)_
-        * Version of nf-core/tools _(eg. 1.1, 1.5, 1.8.2)_
-        * Python version _(eg. 3.10, 3.11)_
+        * Version of nf-core/tools _(eg. 1.10, 1.12.1, 1.13)_
+        * Python version _(eg. 3.11, 3.12)_
diff --git a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
index 63bf8fa5ed..50d835fd5c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.11"
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install packages
         run: |
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ jobs:
           git diff --exit-code ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/CHANGELOG.md || echo "changed=YES" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           echo "File changed: ${{ env.changed }}"
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
           cache: "pip"
 
       - name: Install pre-commit
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-lint-wf.yml b/.github/workflows/create-lint-wf.yml
index 7a72e18d22..3e93918ed1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-lint-wf.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-lint-wf.yml
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ jobs:
         name: Check out source-code repository
 
       # Set up nf-core/tools
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
           cache: pip
 
       - name: Install python dependencies
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-test-lint-wf-template.yml b/.github/workflows/create-test-lint-wf-template.yml
index 0d65c40b07..988e5bb5b0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-test-lint-wf-template.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-test-lint-wf-template.yml
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4
         name: Check out source-code repository
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install python dependencies
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create-test-wf.yml b/.github/workflows/create-test-wf.yml
index 9800ac1910..3b7c02ca86 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create-test-wf.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create-test-wf.yml
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4
         name: Check out source-code repository
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install python dependencies
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-pypi.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy-pypi.yml
index e53d2f2f5a..ca698dad1f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-pypi.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-pypi.yml
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4
         name: Check out source-code repository
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install python dependencies
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml b/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml
index 95a03c70fe..3e6c4d4ef6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
       # Install and run pre-commit
       - uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install pre-commit
         run: pip install pre-commit
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint-code.yml b/.github/workflows/lint-code.yml
index 8ed52a0582..53151a8989 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint-code.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint-code.yml
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
           cache: "pip"
 
       - name: Install pre-commit
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pytest.yml b/.github/workflows/pytest.yml
index 2aed1752ff..b03aab7cdf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pytest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pytest.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: "ubuntu-latest"
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        python-version: ["3.8", "3.11"]
+        python-version: ["3.8", "3.12"]
         runner: ["ubuntu-latest"]
         include:
           - python-version: "3.8"
@@ -159,12 +159,12 @@ jobs:
           cd pytest
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         env:
           AGENT_TOOLSDIRECTORY: /opt/actions-runner/_work/tools/tools/
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
           cache: "pip"
 
       - name: Install dependencies
diff --git a/.github/workflows/sync.yml b/.github/workflows/sync.yml
index 19e895f452..9eeb32ccf3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/sync.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/sync.yml
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ jobs:
           path: nf-core/${{ matrix.pipeline }}
           fetch-depth: "0"
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install python dependencies
         run: |
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b305273654..3a4a2de531 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 - Add fallback to `download_pipeline.yml` in case the pipeline does not support stub runs ([#2846](https://github.com/nf-core/tools/pull/2846))
 - Set topic variable correctly in the mastodon announcement ([#2848](https://github.com/nf-core/tools/pull/2848))
 - Add a cleanup action to `download_pipeline.yml` to fix failures caused by inadequate storage space on the runner ([#2849](https://github.com/nf-core/tools/pull/2849))
+- Update python to 3.12 ([#2805](https://github.com/nf-core/tools/pull/2805))
 
 ### Linting
 
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 60768499a1..6e785f7a60 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-FROM python:3.11-slim@sha256:a2eb07f336e4f194358382611b4fea136c632b40baa6314cb27a366deeaf0144
-LABEL authors="phil.ewels@scilifelab.se,erik.danielsson@scilifelab.se" \
-    description="Docker image containing requirements for the nfcore tools"
+FROM python:3.12-slim
+LABEL authors="phil.ewels@seqera.io,erik.danielsson@scilifelab.se" \
+    description="Docker image containing requirements for nf-core/tools"
 
 # Do not pick up python packages from $HOME
 ENV PYTHONNUSERSITE=1
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cf0b01d210..833fad626f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ conda install nf-core
 Alternatively, you can create a new environment with both nf-core/tools and nextflow:
 
 ```bash
-conda create --name nf-core python=3.11 nf-core nextflow
+conda create --name nf-core python=3.12 nf-core nextflow
 conda activate nf-core
 ```
 
diff --git a/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/download_pipeline.yml b/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/download_pipeline.yml
index 44d06c0cd5..3b791980f2 100644
--- a/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/download_pipeline.yml
+++ b/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/download_pipeline.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.11"
+          python-version: "3.12"
           architecture: "x64"
       - uses: eWaterCycle/setup-singularity@931d4e31109e875b13309ae1d07c70ca8fbc8537 # v7
         with:
diff --git a/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml b/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml
index 28e6605b96..e976b9f09c 100644
--- a/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml
+++ b/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/fix-linting.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
       # Install and run pre-commit
       - uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
 
       - name: Install pre-commit
         run: pip install pre-commit
diff --git a/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/linting.yml b/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/linting.yml
index 612467ff6e..90cca8c2ce 100644
--- a/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/linting.yml
+++ b/nf_core/pipeline-template/.github/workflows/linting.yml
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4
 
-      - name: Set up Python 3.11
+      - name: Set up Python 3.12
         uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: 3.11
+          python-version: "3.12"
           cache: "pip"
 
       - name: Install pre-commit
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/setup-python@0a5c61591373683505ea898e09a3ea4f39ef2b9c # v5
         with:
-          python-version: "3.11"
+          python-version: "3.12"
           architecture: "x64"
 
       - name: Install dependencies