High winds irreparably damaged the new $400,000 canopy of the Heritage Amphitheatre in January.

Edmonton's Freewill Shakespeare Festival is looking for a new venue after the Hawrelak Park Heritage Ampitheatre lost its canopy.

Last month crews were attempting to replace the 25-year-old canvas with a new $400,000 canopy when high winds damaged the top beyond repair.

The custom-built canopies are manufactured in the U.S. and take three months to construct, said Cadence Konopaki, managing director of the festival.

The Free Will Players have been told the amphitheatre won't be ready in time for the annual festival scheduled to run June 24th to July 20th, so it's looking for a new location.

"I've been having a lot of sleepless nights lately wracking my brain, trying to figure out how do we create a tiny little city as we call it, you know, somewhere else outdoors," Konopaki said.

"Everything from coverage for our amazing sets and costumes to dressing rooms and scaffolding for our lights and that sort of thing, when we haven't budgeted for that."