About us
A7M – Associação do Festival de Música de Setúbal is a non-profit cultural association dedicated to organising the Setúbal International Music Festival. Its mission is to create opportunities for the promotion of cultural heritage and to use music as a tool for educational success, harmony, social interaction, and community development.
The association is guided by the following key objectives:
Promoting music education in Setúbal, with a particular focus on children, young people, the elderly, and children with special needs.
Fostering cultural development in Setúbal by using music as a means of artistic creation, overall educational success, and social integration.
Preserving the material and cultural heritage of Setúbal, connecting music to local history, historical and cultural landmarks, religious heritage, and traditional customs.
Encouraging the collaboration of different community entities, including schools, elderly care institutions, and special education organisations.
Promoting knowledge and appreciation of the diverse cultures and musical expressions that exist in Setúbal, a city enriched by its remarkable intercultural diversity.

Our History
The Setúbal International Music Festival (FIMS) was established in 2010/11 as a partnership between Setúbal City Council and the British foundation The Helen Hamlyn Trust, an institution that supports education, culture, and social inclusion, with a special focus on young communities.
In 2012, a cultural association was created to legally represent the festival, independent of both the City Council and The Helen Hamlyn Trust. This association—A7M—brings together the local community alongside artistic and social partnerships.

FIMS was founded on a spirit of collaboration with various public and private institutions in the city, developing educational and participatory projects primarily aimed at children and young people in the region. 

Over the years, A7M has developed projects with the educational community of Setúbal for musical creation with young people from music and regular education, including students and people with special needs. Music is a space for meeting and dialogue where everyone has a place. The process has different methods and times of learning and creation, respecting the diversity and ages of the participants, with 5 specific projects: TIME PARADE, MUSIC WRITING, LISTENING TO THE DIFFERENCE, SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and GUITAR ORCHESTRA.

During the festival, public performances feature world-class visiting artists, both national and international, alongside numerous local groups of children and young people. The workshops, led by highly experienced musicians and educators with significant national and international credentials, have continued year after year, attracting over 1,500 young participants from the local community in each edition.
In addition to the support of Setúbal City Council and The Helen Hamlyn Trust, the festival has also received backing from organisations such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, through the PARTIS – Artistic Practices for Social Inclusion programme, and BPI Fundação La Caixa, through the BPI Capacitar Award, both of which have supported or partnered in educational projects promoted by A7M – Setúbal International Music Festival.

The core objectives of the festival have remained unchanged since its inception and are closely aligned with the city’s broader plans for social, economic, and architectural development. Culture, and particularly music, is recognised as a key component of this strategy.
From the very beginning, a long-term development approach has been essential: this initiative is more than just a “festival”. By being deeply rooted in the local community and addressing its needs—especially those of children and young people—we have laid a strong foundation upon which a more inclusive and supportive future can be built.

Since 2021, the Music Festival has enjoyed the high patronage of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.