diff --git a/packages/nest/package.py b/packages/nest/package.py
index 463d493c74cb2b6da0ad762b0640cb600f6befde..a14f74cd96ac63cf3212e09be7bc6127890a7fae 100644
--- a/packages/nest/package.py
+++ b/packages/nest/package.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Nest(CMakePackage):
     maintainers = ['terhorst']
 
     version('master', branch='master')
+    version('3.6_rc1',sha256='8a8693933180bd5f64e0032c175997bbe7ee3bc6b0d73a7a4a394c97fc93969d')
     version('3.5',    sha256='3cdf5720854a4d8a7d359f9de9d2fb3619a0be2e36932028d6940360741547bd')
     version('3.4',    sha256='c56699111f899045ba48e55e87d14eca8763b48ebbb3648beee701a36aa3af20')
     version('3.3',    sha256='179462b966cc61f5785d2fee770bc36f86745598ace9cd97dd620622b62043ed')
diff --git a/spack.yaml b/spack.yaml
index f09214675d6ce2aa2a59a9873b76a6a36a45bed5..58ed42bc32e5440b19ba6dd0d9d381d4216d287b 100644
--- a/spack.yaml
+++ b/spack.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ spack:
     - biobb-structure-checking@3.12.1
     - biobb-structure-utils@4.0.0
     - hxtorch@7.0-a1
-    - nest@3.5 +sonata
+    - nest@3.6_rc1 +sonata
     - neuron@8.2.3 +mpi
     - py-bluepyefe@2.2.18
     - py-bluepymm@0.7.65