By: Kimberly Miller (@kimmillerfit)
Peace-Love-Unity-Respect—if you've traded a Kandi bracelet or two, the PLUR concept probably isn't new to you. Kandi is a name used in the festival community to describe bracelets made of plastic beads that are often worn and exchanged at music events. Although a fashion statement, Kandi-trading is done with a much deeper purpose than accessorizing—it's a way for ravers to connect and a way to promote positivity, friendship, and acceptance. Browse our festival clothing for more festival inspiration. Browse our festival clothing for more festival inspiration.
Whether you're heading to EDC, Lost Lands, or your first local rave, Kandi culture is one of the most beautiful traditions in the scene. It's the physical manifestation of festival energy—colorful, handmade, and deeply personal. And just like choosing the perfect rave outfit, making Kandi is about expressing who you are and what you stand for.
Creating Your Kandi: More Than Just Beads
Most commonly, the bracelets are made using one row of colorful plastic beads and spell out a word or phrase. Some choose to spell out positive words like "peace", "happiness" and "love". Others will name their favorite festival, DJ or genre of music. One thing I love to do when I make Kandi is to spell out the names of my favorite DJ sets I'll be seeing at that event and give those specific bracelets out during those sets. This adds a nice little personal touch.
Another way to personalize bracelets is to spell out a word that you associate with yourself—and to give this bracelet to someone with this in common. For example, I am a shuffler—so every time I go to a festival I will make a bracelet that spells out "shuffler" or "shape cutter" and give it to someone I meet at the festival and shuffle with. Giving bracelets some level of meaning or personalization is cool because the person who receives it can associate it with a story and with a specific connection they made at the festival.
The beauty of Kandi-making is that it's accessible to everyone. You don't need to be crafty or artistic—just authentic. Match your bracelet colors to your festival outfit, coordinate with your crew's theme, or go completely random. There's no wrong way to express yourself through Kandi, just like there's no wrong way to show up as your truest self on the dance floor.
The Sacred PLUR Handshake: Trading Kandi the Right Way
So, you've made your Kandi bracelets and you're headed to the festival—now what? Well, there is a very specific way to trade these bracelets at festivals—this is where the PLUR handshake comes into play. With each word of the PLUR phrase is a specific hand action that you will do during the handshake. The pictures below show the 4 hand actions you will do before pulling your bracelet over your locked hands and onto the other person's wrist. With each of these hand actions you say out loud "peace", "love", "unity" and "respect".
The Four Steps of PLUR
Peace: Make a peace sign and touch fingertips with your new friend.
Love: Form your hands into a heart shape together.
Unity: Hold hands palm to palm.
Respect: Lock fingers and slide the bracelet from your wrist onto theirs.
This ritual isn't just about exchanging jewelry—it's about creating a moment of genuine human connection in the middle of the chaos. It's the reason why festivals like Electric Daisy Carnival and Lost Lands feel less like concerts and more like coming home to your chosen family.
Building Your Collection: Keep, Trade, Repeat
Once bracelets have been traded, some people will choose to pass on the love by re-trading the bracelets to someone else; whereas some people keep them for their memories of the events, connections, and friendships. I choose to keep the ones that have significant meaning behind them—the ones from my closest friends, the ones from fellow shufflers, and the ones that make me think of really great moments and bonds.
When I see that I am running low on tradeable bracelets, I run by the craft store to grab some beads and string and make more to keep the trades going. Some people are perfectly happy having half a dozen bracelets on a single wrist—but the most serious of Kandi traders will have both of their arms decorated from wrist to elbow.
Your Kandi collection becomes a wearable scrapbook of your festival journey. Each piece tells a story: the stranger who became your best friend at the bass stage, the moment you finally heard your favorite song live, the random 3am conversation that changed your perspective. Just like your collection of festival tops and rave bottoms, your Kandi stack is uniquely yours—a visual representation of every connection you've made and every moment you've lived fully.
Level Up Your Kandi Game: Advanced Techniques
As you can see here, too, Kandi bracelets can be a lot more elaborate than a single row of beads. Multiple-row bracelets (called Kandi cuffs) have become popular, as well as Perler Kandi bracelets featuring intricate designs and character sprites. These statement pieces take hours to create and are often saved for the most meaningful trades.
Think of elaborate Kandi like your statement festival pieces—the holographic bodysuit or custom festival pashmina you save for special moments. They're conversation starters, friendship igniters, and tiny works of art you carry on your wrist.
Where to Learn Advanced Kandi Techniques
Ready to level up your Kandi-making skills? Check out these tutorials:
- WikiHow: How to Make a Kandi Cuff - Perfect for learning multi-row techniques
- Kandi Beads: Perler Fuse Beads 101 - Master the art of Perler bead designs
I can speak from experience that receiving these types of Kandi, especially, warms your heart. It isn't a secret that these PLUR gestures take a lot of time to be hand-made by fellow ravers—so it's a great feeling to receive them. On the flip side—it may be an even better feeling to give these works of art out to others you experience a good connection with. Seeing someone light up when you gift one of your most elaborate Kandis is such a cool feeling and adds to the overall festival experience.
Your Kandi Journey Starts Now
Now that you know all there is to know about Kandi—rally up your rave squad and get Kandi-ing! Whether you're crafting simple single-row bracelets or spending hours on elaborate 3D cuffs, remember that the magic isn't in the complexity—it's in the intention. Every bead you string is a potential moment of connection, every trade is a story waiting to happen.
As you prepare your festival outfit for 2026's season, don't forget to set aside time for Kandi prep. Put on your favorite playlist, grab your beads, and let your creativity flow. The bracelets you make tonight could become someone's most treasured festival memory.
The rave fam is waiting for you. PLUR up and see you on the dance floor.
XO Kim
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