Port Douglas is gearing up for a wild night this Saturday, November 22, as the usual cane toad chaos at Chilly’s gets an upgrade, with a special Cup showdown teaming up with Cairns’ Star 102.7 FM.

The event will be hosted by Port Douglas favourite race master and MC Nicky G, who has been running cane toad races for around 30 years.

The toad arena at Chilly’s Pizza & Trattoria has long been a hit with locals and visitors alike, and this weekend, it’s set to hop into the spotlight.

Saturday marks the launch of the very first Cane Toad Cup, and it’s already shaping up to be a cracker of a night. 

The idea came straight from the Johnny & Inkie Breakfast Show team at Star FM, who pitched the concept to Nicky after a memorable live studio race.

“They rang me,” he said. “They came up with the idea and said we should do an annual cane toad race.”

Think of it like the Melbourne Cup but with more slime and laughs.

“Each toad has an owner, a jockey and a trainer. Winning teams will compete for the highly sought-after Johnny & Inkie Cane Toad Cup. It’s just a bit of fun, done like a horse race,” Nicky explained.

Through on-air competitions, the Johnny & Inkie Show selected eight jockeys to represent their toads. 

“People had to come up with the best team names and logos, anything to impress them on the radio,” Nicky said. 

“On Saturday they will jump on the Johnny & Inkie bus and come up to Port Douglas for the night. We’ve even put together some themed food and drinks to go with it. It’s a one-off fun night.”

Special cocktails are Swamp Sangria, Jerry Springer Spritzer, choice of any type of spirit with Croakacola, Poison Dart Daiquiri, all beers will be served with extra hops.

“Everyone thinks it’s a kids’ show, but half the time the adults walk out happier. There’s a bit of adult humour that goes over the kids’ heads,” he laughed.