diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
index 1e17a21f4ba..92c421b98cf 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 		"dockerfile": "Dockerfile",
 		"args": {
 			// Update the VARIANT arg to pick a version of Go
-			"VARIANT": "1.24",
+			"VARIANT": "1.26",
 			// Options
 			"INSTALL_NODE": "false",
 			"NODE_VERSION": "lts/*"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/adapter-code-coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/adapter-code-coverage.yml
index 10dd9e89773..ed7aef14484 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/adapter-code-coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/adapter-code-coverage.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: 1.24.0
+          go-version: 1.26.2
 
       - name: Checkout Code
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run Coverage Tests
         id: run_coverage
         if: steps.get_directories.outputs.result != ''
+        env:
+          GOTOOLCHAIN: local
         run: |
           directories=$(echo '${{ steps.get_directories.outputs.result }}' | jq -r '.[]')
           go mod download
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-merge.yml
index ca633d47465..64a611f537c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate-merge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-merge.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install Go
       uses: actions/setup-go@v5
       with:
-        go-version: 1.24.0
+        go-version: 1.26.2
 
     - name: Checkout Merged Branch
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
index df71d61612a..b8d5ea7a550 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
   validate:
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        go-version: [1.23.x, 1.24.x]
+        go-version: [1.25.x, 1.26.x]
         os: [ubuntu-latest]
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     
@@ -31,3 +31,4 @@ jobs:
         ./validate.sh --nofmt --cov --race 10
       env:
         GO111MODULE: "on"
+        GOTOOLCHAIN: local
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 6c0295688bb..26396cdc9a3 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ RUN apt-get update && \
     apt-get -y upgrade && \
     apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends wget ca-certificates
 WORKDIR /tmp
-RUN wget https://dl.google.com/go/go1.24.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz && \
-    tar -xf go1.24.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz && \
+RUN wget https://dl.google.com/go/go1.26.2.linux-amd64.tar.gz && \
+    tar -xf go1.26.2.linux-amd64.tar.gz && \
     mv go /usr/local
 RUN mkdir -p /app/prebid-server/
 WORKDIR /app/prebid-server/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0aa629ebc25..2323db2d09c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Ensure that you deploy the `/static` directory, as Prebid Server requires those
 
 ## Developing
 
-Prebid Server requires [Go](https://go.dev) version 1.23 or newer. You can develop on any operating system that Go supports; however, please note that our helper scripts are written in bash.
+Prebid Server requires [Go](https://go.dev) version 1.26.2 or newer. You can develop on any operating system that Go supports; however, please note that our helper scripts are written in bash.
 
 1. Clone The Repository
 ``` bash
diff --git a/adapters/adapterstest/adapter_test_util.go b/adapters/adapterstest/adapter_test_util.go
index d58437b8fd8..7faecb8948f 100644
--- a/adapters/adapterstest/adapter_test_util.go
+++ b/adapters/adapterstest/adapter_test_util.go
@@ -45,21 +45,21 @@ func SampleBid(width *int64, height *int64, impId string, index int) openrtb2.Bi
 // VerifyStringValue Helper function to assert string equals.
 func VerifyStringValue(value string, expected string, t *testing.T) {
 	if value != expected {
-		t.Fatalf(fmt.Sprintf("%s expected, got %s", expected, value))
+		t.Fatalf("%s expected, got %s", expected, value)
 	}
 }
 
 // VerifyIntValue Helper function to assert Int equals.
 func VerifyIntValue(value int, expected int, t *testing.T) {
 	if value != expected {
-		t.Fatalf(fmt.Sprintf("%d expected, got %d", expected, value))
+		t.Fatalf("%d expected, got %d", expected, value)
 	}
 }
 
 // VerifyBoolValue Helper function to assert bool equals.
 func VerifyBoolValue(value bool, expected bool, t *testing.T) {
 	if value != expected {
-		t.Fatalf(fmt.Sprintf("%v expected, got %v", expected, value))
+		t.Fatalf("%v expected, got %v", expected, value)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/endpoints/openrtb2/amp_auction_test.go b/endpoints/openrtb2/amp_auction_test.go
index 44aeb23da62..cb31a2b6ed6 100644
--- a/endpoints/openrtb2/amp_auction_test.go
+++ b/endpoints/openrtb2/amp_auction_test.go
@@ -2491,7 +2491,7 @@ func TestAmpAuctionDebugWarningsOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 
 	for _, test := range testCases {
-		httpReq := httptest.NewRequest("GET", fmt.Sprintf("/openrtb2/auction/amp"+test.requestURLArguments), nil)
+		httpReq := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/openrtb2/auction/amp"+test.requestURLArguments, nil)
 		test.addRequestHeaders(httpReq)
 		recorder := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
diff --git a/exchange/bidder.go b/exchange/bidder.go
index e96fdc1a896..87d3eaa719a 100644
--- a/exchange/bidder.go
+++ b/exchange/bidder.go
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ func (bidder *BidderAdapter) doRequestImpl(ctx context.Context, req *adapters.Re
 	httpResp, err := ctxhttp.Do(ctx, bidder.Client, httpReq)
 	if err != nil {
 		bidder.logHealthCheck(false)
-		if err == context.DeadlineExceeded {
+		if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
 			err = &errortypes.Timeout{Message: err.Error()}
 			var corebidder adapters.Bidder = bidder.Bidder
 			// The bidder adapter normally stores an info-aware bidder (a bidder wrapper)
@@ -631,7 +631,6 @@ func (bidder *BidderAdapter) doRequestImpl(ctx context.Context, req *adapters.Re
 				// a loop of trying to report timeouts to the timeout notifications.
 				go bidder.doTimeoutNotification(tb, req, logger)
 			}
-
 		}
 		return &httpCallInfo{
 			request: req,
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ec92fd3eed3..843178cd1f2 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/prebid/prebid-server/v4
 
-go 1.23.0
+go 1.25
 
 require (
 	github.com/51Degrees/device-detection-go/v4 v4.4.35
diff --git a/modules/fiftyonedegrees/devicedetection/hook_raw_auction_request.go b/modules/fiftyonedegrees/devicedetection/hook_raw_auction_request.go
index 4f5580a5c75..9492b4cb089 100644
--- a/modules/fiftyonedegrees/devicedetection/hook_raw_auction_request.go
+++ b/modules/fiftyonedegrees/devicedetection/hook_raw_auction_request.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 package devicedetection
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"math"
 
 	"github.com/prebid/prebid-server/v4/hooks/hookexecution"
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ func handleAuctionRequestHook(ctx hookstage.ModuleInvocationContext, deviceDetec
 
 			result, err := hydrateFields(deviceInfo, rawPayload)
 			if err != nil {
-				return rawPayload, hookexecution.NewFailure(fmt.Sprintf("error hydrating fields %s", err))
+				return rawPayload, hookexecution.NewFailure("error hydrating fields %s", err)
 			}
 
 			return result, nil