What does someone mean by a “European-style festival?”
Lord knows, what’s the context?
Yeah, and who’s saying it? If it’s Bill O’Reilly, then it would make a huge difference.
Yes, please. I’ve lived in several European countries. I’ve been to a number of festivals in Europe. I really don’t know what would make them particularly “European style,” though. There’s booze, there’s food, there’s music, there’s port-a-potties, and there’s sometimes carnival rides.
ETA: And sometimes they allow camping for multi-day festivals. But some American festivals do that, too, so I still don’t see the difference.
When used here, it seems to be code for ‘civilised adult drinking; no drunken yobs’.
As a European festival visitor, I’d say that ‘civilized drinking’ is not a defining quality, though some Euro festivals more or less qualify.
Also: in many countries in Europe ‘adult drinking’ means, anyone over 15.
The argument often made here (whether true or not, I don’t know) is that Europeans, even adolescent ones, have a more ‘mature’ approach to drinking; they know how to enjoy and appreciate alcohol without seeing it solely as a means to get inebriated etc.
There may be a minor nugget of truth in that, but I stress minor. People all around the world, in my experience, seem equally as interested in getting drunk. The main difference is the pace at which they do so. Although I could see why Australians may be making that argument. 
I guess you’ve never been to the UK!
I think perhaps the main issue isn’t the pace (though there may be a difference there) but the enthusiasm with which one announces one’s drunkenness to strangers. My experience is that in many social occasions in Europe, drunkenness is just quietly accepted unless it gets ugly. In the states, it seems like it’s something you have to be proud or ashamed of.
But I think we’re getting off topic. Can anyone answer the OP with some certainty? I sure can’t.
In discussions of this nature, the UK is not considered to be part of Europe. The arguments are always about the ‘European’ style of drinking (i.e. continental Europe) and the Anglo-Saxon style (i.e. the UK and its offshoots like Australia, New Zealand etc).
To be honest, this is not really my experience. Some people may be shameful/proud of their drunkeness but, usually, it’s just one of those things that goes unsaid.
We just had our big music festival in these parts a few weeks back, with lots of camping, and some Germans who were there specifically said they didn’t have camping at their festivals back home. 
Yeah, well, “Europe” is not exactly the homogenous landform some people seem to think it is it seems. Glastonbury allows camping (so far as I remember), and so does the major Hungarian festival (the Sziget [“Island”] festival), so perhaps it’s a regional thing.
I suppose I reckoned that a group that would travel 4,500 miles for a festival in Appalachia would be well-versed in festival practices closer to home, too.
Yeah, it is surprising indeed. There are festivals not only in Hungary and England where camping is usual, but also Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, and Sweden off the top of my head. I’m surprised Germany doesn’t have any but, come to think of it, the festivals I’ve been to Germany didn’t have any. So perhaps it is unusual there,
But camping and unlimited in & outs is probably far more common in Europe. Also a bigger electronica presece (or even exclusivity). For now. I know that Coachella is edging more towards camping/ins/outs & Electric Daisy Carnival is all EDM and huge. At least that’s what I think about when I thing Euro style.
European Festivals, courtesy of the Boston Globe being great,
Here’s another one
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/glastonbury_2009.html