What Is PLUR? Understanding PLURR and Rave Culture
Peace. Love. Unity. Respect. And Not to Forget Responsibility – these are the core values of rave culture.
The lineup might get you through the gates. But it’s usually the energy and vibe that bring everyone back for more. We love the music, we love the events, but it’s the culture that makes raving a lifestyle.
That is the idea behind PLUR: Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect—a set of values associated with rave culture and the community around electronic music. [1]
You may also see PLURR, which adds a second R for Responsibility. It keeps the same four values while explicitly including responsibility for your actions and their effect on others. [2]
At RaveHacks, we think about it like this:
Enjoy your night in a way that helps the people around you enjoy theirs, too.
You do not need an elaborate outfit, a wrist full of kandi, or years of festival experience to be part of the community.
What does each part of PLUR mean?
Peace: Raves are no space for unnecessary conflict
Peace starts with recognizing that the dance floor is a shared space—not a competition for who can claim the most room or get closest to the stage.
Remembering everyone is there to have one of the best nights of their lives…give everyone around you a little grace. Be calm and always maintain a positive attitude, help people get around you in the crowd – they’re likely looking for their friends, or trying to exit to get to the bathroom or get water.
That does not mean ignoring harassment or staying in a situation that feels unsafe. Walking away, setting a boundary, or getting help can be the peaceful response.
Love: Show care without expecting something back
Think of love here as goodwill, generosity, and care—not an expectation of romance or physical affection.
Offer a genuine compliment. Thank the person who made room for you. Apologize to the person you just bumped into. If you have a fan, show a little fan love to the people around you – especially if they look like they need it.
The important part is that kindness should not come with a bill attached. Giving someone a bracelet does not mean they owe you a conversation. Offering help does not entitle you to their attention.
Unity: We are a community – but that doesn’t mean we’re all the same.
The beauty is in our individuality. This is a space that welcomes everyone
Unity does not require everyone to share the same taste, background, appearance, or way of enjoying music.
Respect: Your experience matters—and so does everyone else’s
Respect means treating other people’s boundaries as real, even when those boundaries are different from yours.
Ask before initiating a hug or other physical contact. Accept a declined invitation without trying to negotiate it. Do not assume someone wants to be the subject of your video.
An outfit is not an invitation. A friendly conversation is not a commitment. Someone choosing to dance alone is not a problem you need to fix.
Extend that same consideration to staff, performers, the venue, and the surrounding community.
Responsibility: Turn good intentions into good decisions
The extra R is for your personal accountability. That often means, knowing your limits, especially when it comes to extracurriculars and alcohol.
Plan how you will get home. Communicate with your group when plans change. Take care of your belongings and your surroundings. Notice when your own behavior is making someone else uncomfortable, and change it.
Responsibility also means knowing when a situation needs more help than you can provide. Get event staff or medical assistance rather than trying to handle everything yourself. Ground Control is there for you and everyone’s safety.
Needing help is not a moral failure. Neither is leaving early, taking a break, or admitting that you have had enough.
Where did PLUR come from?
PLUR’s history is connected to the early American rave scene. In an interview with Insomniac, DJ Frankie Bones described promoting peace, love, and unity around New York parties beginning around 1990, and how respect became part of the developing message. His account emphasizes bringing people together around music and discouraging conflict. [1]
For a newcomer, the important takeaway is not memorizing a single origin story. It is understanding the purpose: creating an environment where people can share music without treating one another as strangers who do not matter.
What does PLUR have to do with kandi?
Kandi is the colorful beaded jewelry—often bracelets, trinkets, sprouts, etc—that people make, give, and trade at raves. A familiar part of kandi trading is the PLUR handshake, which uses gestures representing the four values. [5]
A common version goes like this:
- Peace: Both people make a peace sign and touch fingertips.
- Love: Each person makes half a heart, bringing their hands together to complete it.
- Unity: They bring their hands together and interlock fingers.
- Respect: With their hands connected, they slide a bracelet from one person’s wrist to the other, one at a time. [5]
Treat it as an invitation to connect.
Any raver is happy to show you, and they often love giving first timers Kandi to remember their first event.
Nobody owes anyone a specific bracelet, a trade, or a hug afterward. Kandi can also simply be a gift, with no exchange required. I love giving Kandi to people in the crowd with really positive energy, or who are fanning the crowd around them.
The gesture should serve the connection. The connection should never become an obligation.
PLUR is not “good vibes only”
There is an important difference between encouraging kindness and insisting that everyone act happy all the time.
You are allowed to feel overwhelmed. You are allowed to dislike how someone is treating you. You are allowed to ask for space, change your plans, or leave.
You do not owe anyone access to your body, belongings, time, or attention to prove that you are welcoming.
Likewise, “That’s not very PLUR” should never be used to pressure someone into accepting behavior they have already declined.
Our view is simple: a community that values respect must make room for boundaries.
You do not have to become a different person
You can put these values into practice while being quiet, outgoing, sober, nervous, experienced, or completely new.
You do not have to become the person who talks to everyone. You do not have to dress like the people around you. You do not have to stay until the final track.
Start with something that feels natural: say thank you, offer room to pass, ask before touching, or help someone find the right person to assist them.
The aim is not to perform an idealized version of a raver. It is to be considerate while enjoying the music in your own way.
What happens when you get it wrong?
Do not treat PLUR as a perfection test.
Maybe you moved through the crowd too quickly, misunderstood someone, or got impatient when your group could not agree on a plan.
A useful response is straightforward: acknowledge what happened, apologize without making the other person manage your feelings, and change the behavior.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize I was in your space. I’ll move over.”
That does more than arguing about whether you meant any harm.
Responsibility is not just about making good plans before the event. It is also about responding well when your choices affect somebody else.
Common questions about PLUR and PLURR
Should I say PLUR or PLURR?
Both terms are used. PLUR names Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect; PLURR makes Responsibility an additional, explicit principle. We use both here, with responsibility included in how we encourage readers to put the values into practice. [2]
Do I need kandi to participate?
No. Wearing or trading Kandi is not a prerequisite for treating people with care. Participate because the exchange appeals to you—not because you feel you need the right accessories to belong.
Do I have to hug people or do the handshake?
No. You can decline physical contact and still be friendly. A smile, a wave, or a conversation is enough. Respect includes accepting how other people prefer to connect.
What should I do when someone is not being respectful?
Respond to the situation, not the slogan. An accidental bump may only need a brief conversation. Persistent unwanted behavior is a reason to create distance and seek help from staff or security. You do not need to win an argument about PLUR before protecting your boundaries.
Bring the values, not just the vocabulary
Knowing what the letters stand for is a beginning.
What matters next is how you treat the person beside you, the newcomer asking a question, the friend who needs a break, and the staff member working while you enjoy the show.
Be welcoming without being intrusive. Have fun without making someone else pay for it. Take responsibility when you get something wrong.
That is the version of PLURR we want to help build.
Sources
Numbered links in the article correspond to these sources.
[1] Insomniac — Frankie Bones on the Origins of PLUR
[2] Wikipedia — PLUR
[3] Insomniac — What We Believe
[4] Insomniac — Ground Control and Headliner Experience
[5] iHeartRaves — How to Trade Kandi at a Rave