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The handbook / Guide 12

Guide 124 min readReviewed 2026-10-02

Festival etiquette and PLUR

The unwritten rules of the crowd, in plain words. What PLUR means, how to trade kandi, how to share the rail, consent, and what to do when someone needs help.

General information, not medical advice. If you are worried about your health, talk to a clinician. In an emergency, call 911.

On this page
  1. 01The short version
  2. 02What PLUR means
  3. 03Kandi, and how to trade it
  4. 04Totems and flags
  5. 05The rail and the front
  6. 06In the crowd
  7. 07Consent and personal space
  8. 08When someone needs help
  9. 09If you are new
  10. §Sources

The short version

Be kind, take up less space than you think you need, and look out for strangers. That is most of it. The rest is vocabulary, and the glossary has that.

Scenes differ. The rules at a techno night in a warehouse are not the rules at a bass festival with a pit. Watch for a few minutes before you join in. Ask if you are unsure. People like being asked.

What PLUR means

PLUR stands for peace, love, unity, respect. People use it as a greeting, a sign off and a reminder. You will see it on Kandi, on totems and on a lot of shirts.

You do not have to say it, but you do have to mean the last word. Respect for the people around you, for the space and for the people who set it up. If you remember one, remember that one.

Kandi, and how to trade it

Kandi is the bracelets, necklaces and charms people make from beads and wear on their arms. It is a gift. People trade it with strangers as a way of saying hello.

  • Trades usually come with a handshake, often called the PLUR handshake. Follow the other person's lead if you do not know it.
  • You give one, you get one. The thing you give is personal. Make it by hand if you can.
  • It is fine to say no. Nobody owes a trade.
  • Do not touch someone's arm without asking. Offer yours and let them take it.
  • You can give kandi and ask for nothing back.

Making your own is half the fun. Bring a few spares and a string of letter beads. A first trade is a good way to meet someone.

Totems and flags

A Totem is a pole with something on top, a figure, a flag or a face, that your group can spot across a crowd. It is a meeting point. People bring them to find each other in the dark.

Totems and flags can block the view of the people behind you. Festival rules on them differ a lot, as the list below shows. Read the prohibited items list on the festival page before you build one. If a festival allows them, keep it low in a packed crowd.

From the archive / What festivals say about totems and flagpoles

Pulled from each festival's prohibited items and tips. Rules change between years. 27 festival files record nothing about totems, which does not mean they allow them. Read the official rules before you build one.

The rail and the front

The Rail is the barrier at the front of the stage. People who go to the rail want to be close, and many have waited for hours. It is not a reward for the early. It is a shared spot.

  • Do not push through to get there. Wait for a gap, or go around.
  • If you are at the rail, be there. Do not hold a place for friends who are off getting drinks.
  • Share the front. When you have had your time, step back and let someone else have a turn.
  • If you cannot breathe, say so. Ask for space and a way out.
  • If someone looks unwell in the front, get security or medical right away. They can reach people other fans cannot.

In the crowd

  • Give room. If you have a big bag or a tall hat, think about who is behind you.
  • Keep your phone down. A screen in the air blocks the view for ten people behind you. Film for a minute, then enjoy the rest.
  • Pits are for people who want to be in them. If someone falls, pick them up. If you are not in one, stay out of the way.
  • Share your water if someone asks. Ask for a hand when you need one.
  • Move trash to a bin or take it with you. Do not leave it on the ground.
  • Smoking and vaping are for the places that allow it. Do not do it in a packed crowd.

You will see people who are having a very good time and behaving badly. You do not have to copy them. You also do not have to start a fight. Move away, tell security if it is serious, and get on with your night.

When someone needs help

Sources 45

If someone is on the ground, stop. Ask if they are okay. If they do not answer or cannot be woken, get medical or call 911 and stay with them. The CDC says if you are not sure whether a person is high or overdosing, treat it like an overdose. NIOSH lists confusion, slurred speech, fainting and seizures as signs of heat stroke, and says to call 911.

See heat, hydration and sun and harm reduction for the signs and what to do.

If you are new

Everyone was new once. Nobody is grading you. If you make a mistake, say sorry and move on. If you are on your own, read going solo.

Sources

Every page below was fetched and read on the date shown. Pages change, so check the date before you rely on a detail. If a page contradicts this guide, trust the page.

  1. RAINNRAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline ↗Checked 2026-10-02RAINN runs the hotline. Its site blocks automated page fetches, so the number, text line and chat address were confirmed on the two US Department of Justice pages listed next.
  2. Office for Victims of Crime, US Department of JusticeToll-Free and Online Hotlines ↗Checked 2026-10-02Lists the National Sexual Assault Hotline: call 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673), text HOPE to 64673, chat at hotline.rainn.org/online, Spanish at hotline.rainn.org/es.
  3. Office on Violence Against Women, US Department of JusticeSexual Assault ↗Checked 2026-10-02Lists RAINN at 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673) and says advocates are available to chat 24/7.
  4. CDCWhat to Do If You Think Someone Is Overdosing ↗Checked 2026-10-02Page dated 2024-04-02. Steps and signs of opioid overdose.
  5. CDC / NIOSHHeat-related Illnesses ↗Checked 2026-10-02Page dated 2026-03-03. Written for workers. Symptoms and first aid for heat stroke, heat exhaustion, cramps and fainting.