Setúbal's application for Portuguese Capital of Culture 2028, with the motto "Setúbal – Sea of Culture", was presented to the population during a seminar integrated into the Bocagianas 2026 Commemorations. The municipality's vice-president, Maria do Carmo Tiago, revealed that the project is based on seven dimensions designated as "Marés" (Tides), which give shape to a concrete and ambitious program, designed to leave a legacy beyond the title itself.
The seven dimensions are Sea of Creation, Sea of Memory, Sea of Landscape, Sea of Flavors, Sea of City, Sea of Community and Sea of Future, representing different aspects of the municipality's identity and intersecting with each other to constitute a conceptual, programmatic and territorial structure. The program includes 206 actions, including three of international scope, such as the International Forum of Water Cities, Culture and Sustainability, and eight of national extent, such as the National Exhibition Setúbal, Work, River, Mountain and City.
The process of building the application followed the "Listen to Setúbal" method, with meetings involving more than 350 participants, an online form with 378 responses and 42 concrete proposals presented directly by the community. The vice-president highlighted that the application does not belong to one person or team, but to Setúbal.
The deadline for submitting the application was changed from September 19 to December 3, allowing the project to be strengthened. Seven ambassadors of the application were announced: Chakall, Domingos Soares Franco, Fernando António Baptista Pereira, Herman José, Manuel Marques, Teresinha Landeiro and Toy. The jury has a maximum period of 75 days after the deadline for submission to decide on the winning city.