The British Pullman, A Belmond Train, has unveiled Celia, a new private dining and events carriage, set to launch in early summer 2026. The project marks the first collaboration between Belmond and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, who, alongside Oscar-winning costume and production designer Catherine Martin, has put a cinematic spin on an original 1932 Pullman carriage.
The luxury train, sister to Belmond’s Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, comprises ten restored carriages from the 1920s and ‘30s, operating from February to December out of London’s Victoria Station. The train’s latest addition, Celia, will be available for private hire, with seats for up to 12 guests, and will feature a cocktail bar, lounge, dining, and entertainment space.
“Celia is in many ways the closest anyone can get to chartering their own train,” says Adam Baylis-Waterlow, British Pullman general manager. “As such, this is one of the most exciting additions to The British Pullman in a generation.”
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Inside Celia, interiors echo the heightened theatricality Luhrmann is known for. The design concept is built around Luhrmann’s fictional muse, Celia – an imagined 1930s West End leading lady gifted her own Pullman carriage following an era-defining performance as Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“Stepping inside the carriage is like being transported into another world,” says Luhrmann. “Guests are invited to become part of the story. Celia, at its heart, is a magical mystery tour – a traveling dining experience for friends or an intimate celebration, filled with food, music, wine, laughter, and performance.”
The carriage hosts gentle nods to the Art Deco theme of the British Pullman, while incorporating Luhrmann’s creative concept: tri-color marquetry panels line the walls, depicting English pastoral scenes, as well as Celia, immortalized as Titania. Floral motifs, including pansies (Titania’s symbolic flower in the Shakespeare play), decorate oak-wood floors and furnishings, in a color palette of rich greens, yellows, reds, and purples, crowned with a fabric ceiling that has been engineered to enhance live acoustics for performances on board. Every element of the carriage is bespoke, even the signature scent, co-selected by Luhrmann and Martin.
For tableware, Catherine Martin made sure to lean on British artistry – collaborating with British china manufacturers, Duchess China, David Mellor for the cutlery, and Tom Dixon for the glassware.
Reflecting on her creative vision for the train carriage, Martin says: “Onboard, I imagine people eating, dancing, falling in love, taking photographs, and celebrating life’s great moments – all within a world that offers a pause from the chaos of everyday life.”
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The dining cart will be attended by a dedicated team, where guests will be served a three-course meal, choosing from dishes inspired by traditional English dining, with beef wellington and chicken liver parfait all on offer.
They will also be able to enjoy the carriage’s exclusive cocktail list, created by Monica Berg, mixologist and co-founder of London cocktail bar Tayer + Elementary, and will be able to curate and stock their one bar with their favored drinks of choice. Live performances, including DJ sets, can be arranged for guests in advance.
Bespoke itineraries range from day trips to destinations like Oxford and Bath, visits to historic houses such as Blenheim Palace, journeys to sporting events including Goodwood Revival, and immersive theatre experiences like the Moving Murder Mystery lunches and dinners.
“Nothing about Celia is prescriptive,” adds Gary Franklin, senior vice president of trains and cruises at Belmond. “Celia is all about creating your own world, and that, thanks to Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, is storytelling at its best.”
Prices for the exclusive use of Celia carriage aboard the British Pullman, A Belmond Train, starting from $20,500.
