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A senior politician in Spain's Partido Popular, the Galician president Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has failed in an attempt to stop a music and civil rights festival in Belgium, to be held in a venue managed by the Galician cultural centre in Brussels. 

The second edition of the CityZen festival, set for 8th December, offers "12 hours of music for freedom" in the Belgium capital and the bill includes artists from the Catalan, Basque and Flemish music scenes, combined with a focus on Catalan culture and civil rights.

Feijóo's efforts to pull the plug on the event were based on the fact that the festival venue, 'La Tentation", is part of the Galician cultural centre, the Centro Galego de Bruxelas. Last week, after the weekly meeting of the Galician government, Feijóo admitted in a press conference that his government was "having great difficulties in prohibiting the festival" since they "did not know that this event was going to be held".

However, when the news of the Galician president's statements reached the management board of the Galician centre in Brussels, they decide to reaffirm their decision to host the musical festival, according to the digital newspaper Praza Pública.

In a press release, the cultural centre board explains that the festival is organized "by a group that defends the Catalan political prisoners and exiles" and believes that "the exiled politicians as well as the [exiled] rapper Valtònyc will be able to use the 'La Tentation' facilities". They assert this "in favour of democratic freedom of expression".

The CityZen festival coincides with the first anniversary of last year's huge Catalan independence demonstration in the Belgian capital. During the 12 hour music marathon there will be performances from groups such as Els Catarres, Gerard Quintana and Josep Thió, Miquel Abras and Valtònyc, among many others.

Also included in the festival is an exhibition of images by photojournalists Jordi Borràs, Lluís Brunet, Roser Vilallonga and Delmi Álvarez, and traditional Catalan food will be available, prepared by the collective Les Cuineres de Sils.