Destiny 2 public events will be different from the original game and not only will they be more difficult to complete that you will need a team to complete it but you will also be rewarded with a chest to open that will contain precious loot at the end of the public event. In destiny 2 the public events you will be playing through will add a boss fight that will appear when you are trying to complete it. Based on what Bungie has mentioned completing a public event will be impossible to do it solo and is something that we have to have a team to complete it and you will be rewarded at the end with a chest that you can unlock and keep the rewards. Take a look at the video below that shows you how the public events will work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX5swA61dJ4