It was public broadcaster P3 (Swedish Broadcasting Corporation) that initiated PopStad four years ago. It´s main aim is to focus yearly on a Swedish town with a young, vivid and inspiring music life.

The first PopStad was Lund and the year was 1996. Umeå followed in 1997 and Eskilstuna in 1998. The event has quickly etablished itself as an important factor on the Swedish music scene.

The P3-price Guldmicken (The Golden Mic) will be presented to the best Swedish live act 1998. The nominees are Bo Kaspers Orkester, Magnus Uggla, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, bob hund and Backyard Babies. The votes are given by the P3 audience and the winner will be revealed Saturday, February 13 1999.

Daytime, the PopStad 99 event will include seminars and workshops on music, demo panels with representatives from the music business and P3, and a stage for unsigned talent (three acts per day).

In the evenings, four hours of live radio broadcasts in front of an live audience follows. The P3 broadcasts include three live acts per night (local and national), pop quizz Popsmart and interviews with musicians and representatives from the local Sundsvall scene.

The broadcasts from PopStad 99 will be hosted by P3 presenters Petra Wangler and Pelle Gustafsson. The pop quizz will be led by Kaj Kindvall and Stefan Wermelin.

The following artists appear on the main stage (and in the live broadcasts on P3):
Thursday 11/2: My Orchard - Anna Stadling - Garmarna
Friday 12/2: Red Mecca - Monk - Petter
Saturday 13/2: The $ 1000 Dollar Playboys - The Confusions - Backyard Babies

The following artists appear daytime on the stage for unsigned talent:
Thursday 11/2: Marschmallows - Technicolors - Opossum Friday 12/2: Superscientifiku - A.L. Sweet - Inkfish Collective
Saturday 13/2: Melt - The Inspectors - Endflow

16 out of 18 artists appearing at the PopStad 99 event are from the Sundsvall area.

In 1999, PopStad will also be heard and seen on the Internet. Web cameras will follow the activites day and night, on stage and backstage.