diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
index ba9929177..145e36d91 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install MNE (previous stable)
       if: matrix.mne-version == 'mne-prev-stable'
       run: |
-        git clone --single-branch --branch maint/1.5 https://github.com/mne-tools/mne-python.git
+        git clone --single-branch --branch maint/1.6 https://github.com/mne-tools/mne-python.git
         python -m pip install -e ./mne-python
 
     - name: Install MNE (main)
diff --git a/doc/install.rst b/doc/install.rst
index cfdb246e7..3caa6c55d 100644
--- a/doc/install.rst
+++ b/doc/install.rst
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Dependencies
 
 Required:
 
-* ``mne`` (>=1.5)
+* ``mne`` (>=1.6)
 * ``numpy`` (>=1.21.2)
 * ``scipy`` (>=1.7.0)
 
diff --git a/doc/whats_new.rst b/doc/whats_new.rst
index d5e0526df..1824c82b8 100644
--- a/doc/whats_new.rst
+++ b/doc/whats_new.rst
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Detailed list of changes
 🛠 Requirements
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-- nothing yet
+- MNE-BIDS now requires MNE-Python 1.6.0 or higher.
 
 🪲 Bug fixes
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^
diff --git a/doc/whats_new_previous_releases.rst b/doc/whats_new_previous_releases.rst
index 470608635..4b5d95cda 100644
--- a/doc/whats_new_previous_releases.rst
+++ b/doc/whats_new_previous_releases.rst
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Detailed list of changes
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 - MNE-BIDS now requires Python 3.9 or higher.
-- MNE-BIDS now requires MNE-Python 1.5.0 or higher.
+- MNE-BIDS now requires MNE-Python 1.6.0 or higher.
 - ``edfio`` replaces ``EDFlib-Python`` for export to EDF with MNE-Python >= 1.7.0.
 - Installing ``mne-bids[full]`` will now also install ``defusedxml`` on all platforms.
 - Version requirements for optional dependency packages have been bumped up, see installation instructions.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 35150d678..272befae4 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ classifiers = [
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12",
 ]
 scripts = { mne_bids = "mne_bids.commands.run:main" }
-dependencies = ["mne>=1.5", "numpy>=1.21.2", "scipy>=1.7.1"]
+dependencies = ["mne>=1.6", "numpy>=1.21.2", "scipy>=1.7.1"]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
 # Variants with dependencies that will get installed on top of those listed unter