Kandi at Electric Forest
Four days of camping in Rothbury: earth and pastel palettes, trading at a slower pace, and how much kandi to string. Packing rules link to the organizer.
Dates and venue
- Last edition
- June 25-28, 2026
- Where
- Rothbury, MI
Verified on August 30, 2026 against the organizer's own page. Dates, hours and policies change — check the official page before you book anything.
2027 dates were not published when we checked on 2026-08-30 — the most recent edition ran June 25-28, 2026 at Double JJ Resort. Check the official page for the current year before you plan anything.
Age policy
Electric Forest is not an 18+ event. The organizer's festival info page states that children ages 3 and up require a wristband, that those 2 and under are admitted free, and that you must be 21+ to consume alcohol. Our own site is written for adults; the festival's policy is its own.
That is the organizer's policy, not ours. This site is written for adults regardless of who the event lets in.
Palette prompts
- Green
- Brown
- Cream
- Pastel Mint
- UV Lime
Colors, not artwork. Nothing here copies the event's own visuals.
How many to prep
There is no correct number. These are ranges for 4 days, based on how hard you plan to trade — round down if this is your first one.
20
Light
You will trade if someone asks. Mostly singles, one piece you like.
40
Trading
You are starting handshakes. A full trade arm plus a cuff to remember.
75
Active trader
You prep for weeks and restock daily. Bring cord and spare beads too.
More on the split in how many kandi to bring.
What people trade here
Forest is four days in the woods with your own camp, which turns kandi into an evening activity rather than a thing you only bring. People string at their site with the people they came with, and the trades that happen are slower and more personal than the drive-by handshakes at a stadium show.
The palette runs earthy: moss, bark, cream, soft mint, with one UV accent for the trees at night. Mushroom and plant shapes are common as a decorative motif — keep them generic. Anything that reads as a specific drug reference goes past what this site publishes, and it also makes the piece harder to hand to a stranger.
Carry plan
Camping changes the math. You are not carrying the whole weekend at once, you are carrying tonight. Load a trade arm before you leave camp, keep the rest in the tent, and restock in the afternoon.
Bring cord and a bag of loose beads with you — evenings at your site are the best stringing time you will get all year, and the pieces you make there are the ones you will actually remember trading.
Bag policy
The organizer publishes a festival info and policies page that covers prohibited items, camping rules and what you can carry into the venue area. Read it for the year you are attending; four-day camping events revise these lists more than one-night shows do.
Wear your kandi in. The gate question is always about loose supplies and tools, never about what is already on your arm.
Policies change between editions. The official page wins over anything you read here.
Three to make for it
Ten lines that land here
- FOREST
- TREES
- SOFT RAVER
- SEE MORNING
- WHERE IS CAMP
- HYDRATE
- SHARE SPACE
- MADE THIS
- FOUND YOU
- GO HOME SAFE
Letter beads run out around twelve characters on a single. Browse the whole phrase library.
Trade etiquette, short version
Ask before you trade. Never pull anything off somebody's arm, and never take a piece somebody says is a keeper. If someone says no, that is the whole answer — you are not owed a trade, and neither are they. A gift is a gift: accepting one does not put you in debt.
Full version: trade etiquette and the PLUR handshake.
Leave no trace
Loose beads are litter. Cut cord ends, dropped letter beads and the plastic bags they came in all end up on the ground where you strung them. String over a tray or a towel, bin the offcuts, and pack out what you brought in — campgrounds especially.
Before you go
Water, food, hearing protection, and people who will notice if you are not okay. Read festival safety and the organizer's current rules — the official page wins over anything on this site.
Independent kandi guide. Not a craft kit brand. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any festival, promoter, venue, or artist. Festival names are used only to identify the events discussed.