Rage Blog | What is Kandi?

We all have our own reasons for attending festivals or edm events. Yours might be the musical guests, the atmosphere, the intense diffraction visuals or even the friendship. But for some, it seems to be the whole encompassing vibe of edm related festivals that attract them the most. At your last EDM event you may have taken note of people wearing colorful beads all around their body. What are these beads, you might ask, and what is the whole meaning behind them? Prepare to be amazed because there is more than meets the eye with these special beads.

These beads are called “kandi” and they are one staple of all EDM related events, and the PLUR lifestyle. Kandi is a very unique and special tradition that has become engrained with the EDM culture since the early 2000’s. For those of you who are new to the scene, kandi is a plastic beaded jewelry, made from pony beads, which tons of people wear at various events. There are many different forms of kandi, but mainly people make them in bracelet, cuff or necklace form. For some people it looks awesome, and for others they think it is a silly tradition, but the gestures and meanings behind kandi is something that is truly special.

Every kandi bracelet is hand made by individuals and is a great way to start conversation or double as a gift. Kandi bracelets are very simple to make, you start out with a color scheme and them add some special words or beads and you’ve got yourself a customized bracelet representing what is most important to you. More recently, kandi has transformed into more elaborate and sophisticated forms of jewelry. Some people even shape them into masks, and head pieces to accessorize with their outfit. Now that you’ve garnished yourself in kandi accessories it is time to get to the heart of the whole kandi culture, living the PLUR lifestyle and gifting bracelets to other like minded individuals while bonding with unique gifts to exchange.

The exchange goes like this:

2 individuals join hands making a peace sign. Representing Peace.

Then you form your hands into hearts. This represents Love.

Now you join your hearts together. Representing Unity with one another.

And finally, you can exchange your kandi bracelets signaling Respect between each other.

With this process completed you have now shown Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect or PLUR to your new found friend. This concept is the heart of the kandi culture and truly embodies living the PLUR lifestyle.

What seems to have started out as a simple festival accessory has turned into a way of life for so many people. The kandi tradition maybe have a negative connotation to some, but if you take a look into what it truly represents, then you can see why so many people enjoy the EDM lifestyle. It’s all about coming as yourself, in whatever makes you feel comfortable, and enjoying community with like minded individuals who are all focused on a common goal.