Written by: Rachael Thomas
Ever since EDC Orlando 2022, my first EDM festival, I was introduced to a whole new world that I very quickly came to love. I was in awe of the lights, the music, the community, and the outfits. From an outside perspective of the edm scene, it can be misconstrued with many misconceptions and stereotypes.
After being asked to write about this topic, I took a quick Instagram poll to see what most common misconceptions inside the EDM scene seems to be. I received a lot of the same answers: the scene is being ruined by the new people, you HAVE to use substances and drink, girls wear no clothes to be “hoes”, and it is too expensive.
Becoming part of this scene, it is very easy to get carried away and lose the true meaning of it all. As more and more people find their love for the EDM scene and festivals, they come in not knowing about PLURR. It is our job to teach them about peace, love, unity, respect, AND responsibility.
You can’t forget the last letter in PLURR: responsibility. If you decide, on your own, to partake in party favors, be safe and smart. There are many brands, such as EndOverdose that exist to help people be safe by providing pop-ups at festivals to provide Naloxone, proper training, and test strips! People outside of our community see this scene as “only here for the drugs”. As a completely sober raver, that is so far from the truth.
With EDC Las Vegas being my second EDM festival ever, it was very eye-opening to see how hardcore people will go. I’ve heard it all: I’m not partaking or drinking so I’m lame and no fun or can’t have fun without it. It is scary; even more so when you have never been around substances and are unsure how they’ll react. Always be prepared and make smart and safe choices. If you ever feel peer pressured to partake, then those are not people that you want to be around. As I meet more and more people, I have been exposed to more sober raving and have loved it! If you have not tried it, DO IT! As a girl who has never tried or had any interest in partaking, I still have the best time ever!
Another popular opinion is “the scene is being ruined because of influencers.” Yes, a lot of festivals are becoming overcrowded and “mainstream”, but that is not because of the “influencers”. This is some people’s passion and job, and that’s not something to be mad about. All they are doing is taking videos and pictures (that we all do anyways) and posting them — something we can all do!
A major misconception is that girls in this community wear little to no clothing to be “hoes” and seek attention. Personally being one of these “girls” that is not where my mindset is, and if you see it as attention seeking, then you are the problem! Attending a festival and wearing the super sparkly and/or full out outfits is giving us the opportunity to dress up. If I am ever given the chance to let my inner child run free, I am absolutely doing so! By not having a dress code and getting to release my creative side, it allows us to have freedom of expressing and showing who we are! And some might not be able to show that in their everyday life. This is our chance to escape reality.
Lastly, not really a misconception, but “festival life is expensive!” Reality check: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE! Tickets, flights, lodging, food, it all adds up. If you take a step back to plan it out, split it between friends, and prioritize what’s most important to you on these trips, it is completely doable. You can’t do it all in one year, but I will always be the bad influence and tell you to full send! Life is all about experiences and usually only happens once, but money does come back!
Sometimes people forget that we are not here to fight. Drop your problems at the gates. We are all here for the same reasons: loving the music and artists, spending time with our friends and making new ones, enjoying the time together and making memories.