How to Make a Rave Totem
That Matches Your Crew's Jerseys and Flags

1. Read the rules. Note your event’s height cap, pole limit, and flag size (see the table below).
2. Pick a thin pole. Schedule 40 PVC sold as 1-inch is 1.315 in across, over a 1-inch limit. Half-inch (0.84 in) stays safely under it, and a 6-ft length weighs about 1 lb. At EDC, a decorated pool noodle works too.
3. Attach a soft head. Slide the pole through a flag’s side tunnel or zip-tie a foam sign to the top, and put art on every side. Lost Lands required that in 2026.
4. Add LEDs, not lasers. Battery LED strings keep it visible after dark, and EDC bans laser pointers.
5. Keep it safe. Nothing sharp or heavy goes on top. Measure pole and head together, since Lost Lands’ 2026 cap included the pole.
6. Agree on the plan. Tell the crew what the totem looks like and where you’ll be, or they won’t know what to look for.

Then pack it with the rest of what to bring to an EDM festival.

Rules can change between editions, so re-read the official page the week you go (for EDC, the Hours & Info page).

• Your crew name or number, big on the head and on every jersey. If you need one, try our rave names for the back of your jersey.
• Your jersey print, repeated on the head, so totem and crew look like one set.
• A fan-inspired DJ flag, like our Seven Lions design (not official merch). EDC and Ultra only allow flags without corporate branding.
• A positive inside joke, since EDC refuses totems that promote illegal activity or hate speech.

Totem poles themselves are carved cedar monuments of Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples. Their crests belong to specific families or clans, so make your own art instead of copying them.

Often, yes. EDC Las Vegas, EDC Orlando, and Beyond Wonderland allow flags without corporate branding or hard flagpoles, so fly yours from a pole built to the totem rules. Security still has the final say.

Size can rule a flag out. Lost Lands capped flags at 2 ft diagonal in 2026, and our flags are 60 x 36 in, about 5.8 ft corner to corner. At an event like that, the full-size flag stays at camp. Browse our rave flags for crew names, slogans, and fan-inspired DJ designs.

Repeat one name, number, color, or print on the totem and every jersey. Our Skull Squad flag, baseball jersey, and hockey jersey share one crew name, so the group reads as one from a distance. See matching jerseys for your whole crew.

Your totem art can go on the jerseys too. Every jersey is made to order and sublimated, and it can carry names and numbers (embroidery costs extra and is quoted before you pay). You’ll see a full mockup within 24–48 hours, with unlimited revisions, and pay only once you approve. No minimum: start at custom jerseys, or get a bulk quote for 10 or more. Tell us your festival date and we’ll confirm the realistic delivery window.

• Stand at the side or back of your group.
• Lower it during sets, and raise it to regroup.
• Keep LEDs out of people’s eyes.
• Take turns holding it, and carry it low through tight crowds.

See our rave festival safety tips for more.