The slate of pop music acts headed to Maine this fall includes some very familiar names. But like everything else during the pandemic, seeing them will be very different experience.

Judy Collins, Kesha and Mary Chapin Carpenter are among the well-known music stars heading to Maine. But if you want to see them live, you’ll need to show proof of vaccination or present a negative COVID-19 test.

A half-dozen or more Maine venues have announced vaccine and test policies for upcoming shows. These include the State Theatre and Thompson’s Point in Portland, Portland House of Music, Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor and the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath. Shows booked through concert giant Live Nation, including at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, will have vaccine/test requirements starting Oct. 4. Some venues are also requiring masks.

The upside, of course, it that there is a fall pop music schedule, and acts are touring again. That was not the case last fall. In announcing vaccine policies, most venue operators and promoters said they felt this was the best way to keep their businesses open and keep acts coming to Maine.

Collins, 82, is scheduled to play three shows in Maine this fall, including Oct. 12 at the State Theatre and Oct. 14 and 15 at Stone Mountain Arts Center. (The Oct. 14 show is sold out.) In a career spanning more than 60 years and 25 albums, Collins has performed folk, rock, pop and standards. She had some major radio hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including “Both Sides, Now” and “Send in the Clowns.”

Kesha, 34, is a hitmaker from a different generation. She’ll play a sold-out show at the State Theatre Sept. 4 with Betty Who. The singer, songwriter, rapper and actress began making hit songs and albums more than a decade ago. She’s had several Top 10 hits on American radio, including “Die Young,” “Blow” and “We R Who We R.”

Carpenter, 63, emerged as a country star in the ’80s and ’90s, though many of her songs have a more rootsy or rock sound. She had a cross-over pop radio hit in the early ’90s with “Passionate Kisses.” She’s scheduled to play the State Theatre Sept. 29 with Shawn Colvin and Marc Cohn.

Here are some other highlights of southern Maine’s fall pop music lineup. As pandemic conditions can change suddenly, it’s best to check venue websites for the latest restrictions or requirements.

CROSS INSURANCE ARENA, PORTLAND
Sept. 24 – The OK Orchestra
Oct. 3 – Primus

OPERA HOUSE AT BOOTHBAY HARBOR
Sept. 4 – Richard Thompson
Oct. 8 – Rodney Crowell

STONE MOUNTAIN ARTS CENTER
Sept. 3 – Raul Malo
Oct. 1 – Dar Willliams
Nov. 10 – George Winston

STATE THEATRE
Sept. 10 – Lettuce
Sept. 30 – Dashboard Confessional
Oct. 18 – Spoon

THOMPSON’S POINT
Sept. 3 – St. Vincent
Sept. 17 – Trey Anastasio Band
Sept. 18 – Brett Young

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