diff --git a/release/README.md b/release/README.md
index e8a887c..5fa8fad 100644
--- a/release/README.md
+++ b/release/README.md
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ This is the recommended release flow in a nutshell for the release 24.7:
 # create and push the release tag
 ./release/create-release-tag.sh -t 24.7.0 -w products # Only add the -p flag after testing locally first
 
-# monitor the GH action that builds ~80 images for success
+# monitor the GH action that builds ~80 images for success.
+# build failures alerts will appear in the #notifications-container-images channel.
 
 # continue with the operators ...
 # create and push the release branch
@@ -20,6 +21,11 @@ This is the recommended release flow in a nutshell for the release 24.7:
 ./release/create-release-tag.sh -t 24.7.0 -w operators # Only add the -p flag after testing locally first
 
 # monitor the GH actions that build the operator images for success
+# build failures are not yet sent to the #notifications-container-images channel yet.
+
+# continue with the demos ...
+# create and push the release branch
+./release/create-release-branch.sh -b 24.7 -w demos # Only add the -p flag after testing locally first
 
 # finally patch the changelog file in the main branch
 # create PRs for all operators
@@ -54,7 +60,7 @@ A set of scripts that automates some release steps. The release process has mult
 ### Install requirements
 
 > [!NOTE]
-> Nix users will not need to install anything, just enter the `nix-shell` in this repository (if not done automatically via `direnv`). 
+> Nix users will not need to install anything, just enter the `nix-shell` in this repository (if not done automatically via `direnv`).
 > The dependencies will install automatically.
 > A nix-shell will be entered for each operator during certain commands, so operator dependencies will be covered too.
 
@@ -84,20 +90,20 @@ You have to be logged in when running the `post-release.sh` script. The easiest
 To create release branches use the `create-release-branch.sh` script, called from the repository root folder. The syntax is given below:
 
 ```
-./release/create-release-branch.sh -b <release> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|both]
+./release/create-release-branch.sh -b <release> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|demos|all]
 ```
 
 - `-b <release>`: the release number (mandatory). This must be a semver-compatible value (i.e. without leading zeros) such as `23.1`, `23.10` etc. and will be used to create a branch with the name `release-<release>` e.g. `release-23.1`
 - `-p`: push flag (optional, default is "false"). If provided, the created branches plus any changes made as part of this process will be pushed to the origin.
 - `-c`: cleanup flag (optional, default is "false"). If provided, the repository folders will be torn down on completion.
-- `-w`: where to create the branch. It can be "products", "operators", "both".
+- `-w`: where to create the branch. It can be "products", "operators", "demos", "all".
 
 N.B. the flags cannot be combined (e.g. `-p -c` but not `-pc)
 
 e.g.
 
 ```shell
-./release/create-release-branch.sh -b 23.1 -p -c -w both
+./release/create-release-branch.sh -b 23.1 -p -c -w all
 ```
 
 ##### What this script does
@@ -121,20 +127,20 @@ e.g.
 To create release tags use the `create-release-tag.sh` script, called from the repository root folder. The syntax is given below:
 
 ```
-./release/create-release-tag.sh -t <release-tag> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|both]
+./release/create-release-tag.sh -t <release-tag> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|all]
 ```
 
 - `-t <release-tag>`: the release tag (mandatory). This must be a semver-compatible value (i.e. major/minor/path, without leading zeros) such as `23.1.0`, `23.10.3` etc. and will be used to create a tag with the name
 - `-p`: push flag (optional, default is "false"). If provided, the created commits and tags made as part of this process will be pushed to the origin.
 - `-c`: cleanup flag (optional, default is "false"). If provided, the repository folders will be torn down on completion.
-- `-w`: where to create the tag and update versions in code. It can be "products", "operators", "both".
+- `-w`: where to create the tag and update versions in code. It can be "products", "operators", "all".
 
 N.B. the flags cannot be combined (e.g. `-p -c` but not `-pc)
 
 e.g.
 
 ```shell
-./release/create-release-tag.sh -t 23.1.0 -p -c -w both
+./release/create-release-tag.sh -t 23.1.0 -p -c -w all
 ```
 
 ##### What this script does
@@ -226,13 +232,13 @@ Once the release is complete and all steps above have been verified, the documen
 To create release tags for bugfix/patch releases use the `create-bugfix-tag.sh` script, called from the repository root folder. The syntax is given below:
 
 ```
-./release/create-bugfix-tag.sh -t <release-tag> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|both] [-i]
+./release/create-bugfix-tag.sh -t <release-tag> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|all] [-i]
 ```
 
 - `-t <release-tag>`: the release tag (mandatory). This must be a semver-compatible value (i.e. major/minor/path, without leading zeros) such as `23.1.0`, `23.10.3` etc. and will be used to create a tag with the name
 - `-p`: push flag (optional, default is "false"). If provided, the created commits and tags made as part of this process will be pushed to the origin.
 - `-c`: cleanup flag (optional, default is "false"). If provided, the repository folders will be torn down on completion.
-- `-w`: where to create the tag and update versions in code. It can be "products", "operators", "both".
+- `-w`: where to create the tag and update versions in code. It can be "products", "operators", "all".
 - `-i`: product image versioning flag (optional, default is "false"). If provided, updates test definitions with product image versions from this release version (i.e. assumes products have been released/tagged, too).
 
 N.B. the flags cannot be combined (e.g. `-p -c` but not `-pc)
@@ -240,7 +246,7 @@ N.B. the flags cannot be combined (e.g. `-p -c` but not `-pc)
 e.g.
 
 ```shell
-./release/create-bugfix-tag.sh -t 23.1.0 -p -c -w both -i
+./release/create-bugfix-tag.sh -t 23.1.0 -p -c -w all -i
 ```
 
 ##### What this script does
diff --git a/release/config.yaml b/release/config.yaml
index 61414ec..415f75a 100644
--- a/release/config.yaml
+++ b/release/config.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ---
+demos-repo: demos
 images-repo: docker-images
 operators:
   - airflow-operator
@@ -16,4 +17,4 @@ operators:
   - spark-k8s-operator
   - superset-operator
   - trino-operator
-  - zookeeper-operator
\ No newline at end of file
+  - zookeeper-operator
diff --git a/release/create-bugfix-tag.sh b/release/create-bugfix-tag.sh
index da026ca..a12e99f 100755
--- a/release/create-bugfix-tag.sh
+++ b/release/create-bugfix-tag.sh
@@ -44,17 +44,17 @@ tag_operators() {
     #-----------------------------------------------------------
     "$TEMP_RELEASE_FOLDER/${operator}"/scripts/docs_templating.sh
 
-    git commit -sam "release $RELEASE_TAG"    
+    git commit -sam "release $RELEASE_TAG"
     git tag -sm "release $RELEASE_TAG" "$RELEASE_TAG"
     push_branch
   done < <(yq '... comments="" | .operators[] ' "$INITIAL_DIR"/release/config.yaml)
 }
 
 tag_repos() {
-  if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+  if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
     tag_products
   fi
-  if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+  if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
     tag_operators
   fi
 }
@@ -116,10 +116,10 @@ check_operators() {
 }
 
 checks() {
-  if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+  if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
     check_products
   fi
-  if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+  if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
     check_operators
   fi
 }
diff --git a/release/create-release-branch.sh b/release/create-release-branch.sh
index 5edd4f9..3fd2547 100755
--- a/release/create-release-branch.sh
+++ b/release/create-release-branch.sh
@@ -42,15 +42,35 @@ update_operators() {
   done < <(yq '... comments="" | .operators[] ' "$INITIAL_DIR"/release/config.yaml)
 }
 
+update_demos() {
+  if [ -d "$BASE_DIR/$DEMOS_REPO" ]; then
+    cd "$BASE_DIR/$DEMOS_REPO"
+    git pull && git switch "${RELEASE_BRANCH}"
+  else
+    git clone --branch main --depth 1 "git@github.com:stackabletech/${DEMOS_REPO}.git" "$BASE_DIR/$DEMOS_REPO"
+    cd "$BASE_DIR/$DEMOS_REPO"
+    git switch "${RELEASE_BRANCH}" || git switch -c "${RELEASE_BRANCH}" "${REPOSITORY}/${BASE_BRANCH}"
+  fi
+
+  # Search and replace known references to stackableRelease, container images, branch references.
+  # https://github.com/stackabletech/demos/blob/main/.scripts/update_refs.sh
+  .scripts/update_refs.sh commit
+
+  push_branch "$DEMOS_REPO"
+}
+
 update_repos() {
   local BASE_DIR="$1";
 
-  if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+  if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
     update_products
   fi
-  if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+  if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
     update_operators
   fi
+  if [ "demos" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+    update_demos
+  fi
 }
 
 push_branch() {
@@ -98,6 +118,7 @@ parse_inputs() {
 
   INITIAL_DIR="$PWD"
   DOCKER_IMAGES_REPO=$(yq '... comments="" | .images-repo ' "$INITIAL_DIR"/release/config.yaml)
+  DEMOS_REPO=$(yq '... comments="" | .demos-repo ' "$INITIAL_DIR"/release/config.yaml)
   TEMP_RELEASE_FOLDER="/tmp/stackable-$RELEASE_BRANCH"
 
   echo "Settings: ${RELEASE_BRANCH}: Push: $PUSH: Cleanup: $CLEANUP"
@@ -109,7 +130,7 @@ main() {
   # check if tag argument provided
   #-----------------------------------------------------------
   if [ -z "${RELEASE}" ]; then
-    echo "Usage: create-release-branch.sh -b <branch> [-p] [-c] [-w both|products|operators]"
+    echo "Usage: create-release-branch.sh -b <branch> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|demos|all]"
     exit 1
   fi
   #-----------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/release/create-release-tag.sh b/release/create-release-tag.sh
index 9820ce8..5c90b6c 100755
--- a/release/create-release-tag.sh
+++ b/release/create-release-tag.sh
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ tag_operators() {
 }
 
 tag_repos() {
-	if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+	if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
 		tag_products
 	fi
-	if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+	if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
 		tag_operators
 	fi
 }
@@ -116,10 +116,10 @@ check_operators() {
 }
 
 checks() {
-	if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+	if [ "products" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
 		check_products
 	fi
-	if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "both" == "$WHAT" ]; then
+	if [ "operators" == "$WHAT" ] || [ "all" == "$WHAT" ]; then
 		check_operators
 	fi
 }
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ main() {
 	# check if tag argument provided
 	#-----------------------------------------------------------
 	if [ -z "${RELEASE_TAG}" ]; then
-		echo "Usage: create-release-tag.sh -t <tag> [-p] [-c] [-w both|products|operators]"
+		echo "Usage: create-release-tag.sh -t <tag> [-p] [-c] [-w products|operators|all]"
 		exit 1
 	fi
 	#-----------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/shell.nix b/shell.nix
index 99c7a7f..d9c6bc0 100644
--- a/shell.nix
+++ b/shell.nix
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 pkgs.mkShell {
   nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [
     cargo-edit
+    gettext # envsubst
     gh
     yq-go
   ];