SAFETY & PLUR

Ground crew are the unsung heroes of every festival. They are the volunteers and staff in bright vests walking the crowd, checking on people, and making sure everyone gets home safe. If you see someone wearing a GROUND CREW or MEDICAL vest — they are your first point of contact for anything safety-related.

Do not hesitate to flag down a ground crew member for:

• Someone who seems unwell, confused, or overly disoriented
• A person who has fallen or cannot stand on their own
• Anyone who is unresponsive or unconscious
• A lost person or separated group member
• Any situation where your gut says something is wrong

Ground crew are trained for this. They have seen everything and will not judge you or your friends. Their only job is to help.

Fentanyl is in the drug supply. This is not a scare tactic — it is a documented fact that affects every festival in North America. Fentanyl is odorless, tasteless, and 50–100x stronger than morphine. A dose invisible to the naked eye can be fatal.

NARCAN (naloxone) reverses opioid overdoses. It is available over the counter at most pharmacies with no prescription required. It is safe to use even if you are not sure whether someone has taken opioids — it will not harm someone who hasn't.

Signs of opioid overdose:

• Unresponsive or unconscious
• Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing
• Gurgling or choking sounds
• Blue or grey lips or fingertips
• Pinpoint (very small) pupils

If you see these signs: call 911 immediately, administer Narcan if available, place the person in the recovery position, and stay with them.

Dehydration and over-hydration are both real risks at festivals. Most people know to drink water — but drinking too much plain water without electrolytes can be just as dangerous as not drinking enough. This condition is called hyponatremia and it is more common at festivals than most people realize.

The rule: drink water AND replace electrolytes.

How much water: about 500ml (roughly 16oz) per hour when dancing actively in the heat. Sip consistently rather than gulping large amounts at once. If you have been drinking alcohol, match every drink with water.

Signs of dehydration:

• Dark yellow urine (pale yellow = well hydrated)
• Headache, dizziness, dry mouth
• Muscle cramps, fatigue
• Confusion in severe cases

Signs of over-hydration (hyponatremia):

• Nausea and vomiting despite drinking lots of water
• Headache that gets worse
• Confusion or disorientation
• Swelling in hands or feet

If you see these signs seek medical help immediately — this is a medical emergency.

PLUR is not a slogan — it's a contract. When you walk into a festival, you're agreeing to look out for the person dancing next to you. To share water. To help up the kid who tripped. To call a medic if someone needs one. To respect the "no" of a stranger as much as the "yes" of a friend.

Rave culture started in warehouses and basements where the outside world wasn't welcome. The people who built it — queer kids, Black and Latino DJs, immigrants, outcasts — built it as a sanctuary. PLUR is how we keep it one.

Kandi are bracelets, cuffs, and perler-bead pieces made of colorful plastic beads — often spelling out track names, artist names, inside jokes, or just "PLUR." Ravers make them at home before festivals and trade them with strangers on the dancefloor.

The trade happens via the PLUR handshake, a four-step ritual that ends with the kandi sliding from one wrist to the other. The bracelet is the keepsake. The handshake is the moment.

Kandi etiquette:

• Ask before initiating — not everyone wants to trade, and that's okay
• Trade with intention. The story behind the bracelet matters more than the beads
• Wear what you receive. Kandi is meant to be visible, not stashed in a drawer
• Respect "no" — a refusal to trade is not a rejection of you
• If you make singles to give away, hand them out freely — no trade required

The bracelet is a token. The real trade is the moment between two strangers who agreed, for thirty seconds in the middle of a crowd, to see each other. That's the whole point.