In the first summer of concerts at Thompson’s Point in Portland, only four shows were scheduled, and two of them didn’t go on as planned.

Ingrid Michaelson got moved to the State Theatre because of bad weather and Passion Pit canceled because of illness, leaving Grace Potter and Primus with Dinosaur Jr. as the entire lineup for the outdoor venue’s inaugural season in 2015.

This summer, there are 23 shows scheduled, including Vampire Weekend, coming off an appearance at Boston Calling next week, and Lake Street Dive, whose two shows in August have already sold out.

If it feels like more music and comedy acts you want to see have been coming through Portland recently, there’s a reason. While Thompson’s Point is preparing for its biggest season yet, Jack White and Lord Huron have signed on to headline the first ever Back Cove Music & Arts Festival in Payson Park. The State Theatre, which struggled to secure 20 shows when it reopened 15 years ago, is now booking an average of 120 a year, said Lauren Wayne, president of State Theatre Presents.

That includes a couple comedians a month, when, before the pandemic, there were only a couple a year, she said. And even bigger names, like John Mulaney and Jon Stewart, are headed for Cross Insurance Arena and Merrill Auditorium in the coming months.

Plans for additional Portland venues are in the works as well. Although a proposal to open a 3,300-person capacity music hall right by the slightly smaller Merrill has caused a stir and could be affected by a moratorium on new venues of a certain size under consideration by city officials, the people behind it — a Scarborough developer in partnership with giant concert promoter Live Nation — say it would bring in more acts that want to play in Portland but don’t have a right-sized theater. Meanwhile, a smaller venue on the waterfront that would fill the gap between the tiny Portland House of Music and the 1,870-person State (much like pandemic casualty Port City Music Hall) plans to open around the end of the year.

So, what’s behind all the interest in playing Portland and the confidence that more artists want to?

The upper corner of the country isn’t a convenient place for musicians to make a stop. That’s why, Wayne said, tours often start or end here — even more evidence that performers are making a point to come.

Morgan Milardo, managing and artistic director of the Berklee Popular Music Institute in Boston, credited the reputation of Wayne’s team, which books shows at Thompson’s Point, the State and other venues, with “helping draw bigger-name acts despite the city’s smaller size and less central location.”

She also thinks the city’s “exceptional food and art scenes” bring in fans who are willing to travel to see their favorite artists, as well as the artists themselves, who also are benefiting from Portland’s pandemic-related population growth.

“This widening market and vibrant community makes it an attractive stop for touring musicians,” said Milardo, who is among the out-of-state music fans happy to travel to Portland for shows. “I personally have made the trek from Boston several times for concerts, as I enjoy seeing my favorite artists in what feels like a vacation town.”

Wayne said, in addition to music tourism, there are Maine summer residents and visitors adding to the pool of audience members, and they’re willing to pay a ticket price at Thompson’s Point that allows the artists to be compensated properly. Also, because the outdoor venue overlooking the water is simply a great place to see a show in summer, even locals who aren’t familiar with whoever’s playing will come for something fun to do.

The artists, she said, like the relaxed vibe of Thompson’s Point, where there’s no seating and all tickets are general admission. And they don’t complain about the Eventide lobster rolls and oysters her team brings them either.

“When we started, it was a lot of reaching out,” Wayne said. But now, “it’s a lot of agents coming to me.”

That puts her in the enviable position of being able to direct acts to the best venue, rather than trying to sell them on the city. No matter where they end up playing, she said, they rarely come off the stage without commenting on how great the crowd was.

“Portland audiences are the best. Hands. Down. The. Best,” said Wayne, hitting the table for emphasis with every word. “They are so vocal and so loud, and artists love that.”

Count perennial Thompson’s Point performers Lake Street Dive among the appreciative artists.

The band’s love affair with Portland dates back to 2014, when its fourth studio album, “Bad Self Portraits,” was released, marking a turning point in their popularity, said manager Emily Lichter.

All of the shows on their tour were selling out and they were getting offers to move to bigger venues, but Lichter wanted them to stick with the ones they had booked — with one exception. Lichter decided Portland was the place to take a chance, and the show was moved from Port City Music Hall to the State Theatre, which sold out too.

“It was a very monumental show for the band,” Lichter said, and Portland audiences have continued to show the same enthusiasm since then, with shows here selling out faster than anywhere else. “We just feel like Portland has loved and welcomed this band in a very unique and special way.”

Even though the band plays bigger venues in bigger places, they always come back to Portland — nowadays, to Thompson’s Point.

“It feels intimate because of the way the fans embrace the band, but it’s expansive and epic too,” Lichter said about the outdoor venue, whether they’re playing in sideways rain or with a dreamy sunset as the backdrop. “It’s a surprise every time.”