Things To Do In London This Weekend: Sept 7 - 9

You know how it’s a thing to say, ‘ohmigod, that’s just like something from Black Mirror?’ Well in this case, it really IS just like something from Black Mirror. And that’s because this new pop-up – brought to you by the folks behind the immersive ABQ and Bletchley Park bars – is inspired by the hit Charlie Brooker series. As you’d imagine, that means we’re in for a whole heap of dystopian paranoia, technology gone bad… and, more happily, hard liquor. For your hour and a half session, you’ll be an agent of The Grid (a secret society working to save humanity from the rise of the machines) on a mission to defeat evil AI corporation NeoSight… Your weapon of choice? Deadly cocktails. Because if there’s one thing we’re better at than computers, it’s drinking. Yeah.

Until 28 Oct; £35 including two cocktails

Secret SE1 location

Still on a high from this year’s Notting Hill Carnival? Then 1) Blimey, how hard did you go? and 2) Good news: you can do it all over again this very weekend. Hackney’s answer to west London’s higher-profile shindig may be smaller in scale, but packs in good-time vibes pound for pound. Centring on a rum-soaked, sequin-bedecked, steel-drum-wielding soca parade running from Queensbridge Road to Dalston Lane, at Ridley St Market you’ll also find soundsystems, live bands, food stalls and a sh*t-ton of glitter. Let the party continue!

9 Sept; free

Hackney One Carnival, Ridley Road Market, Hackney E8

Happily, this isn’t a festival populated by the likes of Nigel Farage, Chris Brown and Katie Hopkins. Nope, it’s dedicated to the GOOD kind of jerk: that of the tasty seasoning variety. Taking over cool Brick Lane venue 93 Feet East this Sunday, the likes of White Men Can’t Jerk, Mama’s Jerk, StickyWings and Jerkdog are serving up their flamey grilled meat (or vegan) creations, there’ll be rum punch and cocktails aplenty, while a suitably Caribbean mood will be sorted by live ska, dub, and dancehall curated by Rompa’s Reggae Shack. Grab a rum, some spicy wings, and get on down. It’s going to be hot.

Jerk Festival, 93 Feet East, 150 Brick Lane, E1 6QL; from £9

Sept 9

There’s only one thing more certain than an alcohol-based portmanteau to capture our ginterest (ahem). And that’s the prospect of combining gin with cinema-going – which is, happily, just what’s on offer this weekend. Juniper supremos Hayman’s have had the ginius idea (sorry, can’t help it) of hosting pop-up film screenings in its huge south London distillery, where along with watching classics like The Breakfast Club, Rushmore, Grease, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, you’ll be treated to a welcome G&T, two cocktails themed on the movie, and London Dry Gin popcorn. You’re sure to enjoy the films like never before. It’s ginevitable.

7-10 Sept; £40

Ginema, Hayman’s Distillery, 8a Weir Road, SW12 0AT

Oh, you thought festival season was over? Well you can pull those Hunters right back out from that cupboard where you stashed them, because there’s once last field-based fiesta to be had. And it’s a good ’un, too: with Paloma Faith (pictured), De La Soul, Squeeze, The Divine Comedy, Corinne Bailey Rae and Craig Charles taking to the stage; a Food Village where you can try everything from the Yorkshire Burrito (a full Sunday roast in a wrap, oh yeah) to vegan pie ’n’ mash; and Meantime Craft Brewery and Drambuie bars sure to keep the party rolling. You can find all this and more… er… on Blackheath. We see where they got the name from now.

8-9 Sept; from £56

OnBlackheath, Blackheath, London SE3

Oh, but we are simple creatures. Say the words ‘bottomless’ ‘mezze’ and ‘brunch’ and we are THERE. Lucky for us, ‘there’ is stylish Clerkenwell restaurant Sarona, and mezze brunch involves as many Middle Eastern dishes as we can eat – such as spicy shakshuka, poached eggs with Arabic spinach and pine nuts, hummus masabacha, Merguez sausages and challah toast and butter. And the best bit of ALL? There’s a choice of free-flowing bellinis, prosecco or Bloody Marys. Because there is surely no simpler pleasure in life than bottomless booze. *Happy sigh*

8 Sept; £35 including unlimited food and drink for 1hr30

Sarona, 27 Clerkenwell Rd, Clerkenwell, EC1M 5RN