First Look Inside Baz Luhrmann’s Dreamlike Belmond Train, Celia

![](https://elitetraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/05/celia-british-pullman-belmond-train-lounge-scaled.jpg)©Ludovic Balay

The British Pullman, [A Belmond Train](https://elitetraveler.com/travel/inspire/belmond-train-malaysia), 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](https://elitetraveler.com/travel/destination-guides/europe/london-destination-guide) 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.”

_See more:_ [_The Return of Opulent Train Travel_](https://elitetraveler.com/travel/luxury-train-travel)

![celia lounge british pullman belmond train](https://elitetraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/05/celia-lounge-british-pullman-dining-cart-train-2048x2560.jpg)©Ludovic Balay

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](https://elitetraveler.com/design-culture/art-exhibitions/art-deco-returns-to-paris) 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.

![celia british pullman train](https://elitetraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/05/celia-british-pullman-belmond-train-dining-2560x2048.jpg)©Ludovic Balay

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.”

_See also:_ [_I Boarded the Orient Express for a Scenic Golf Journey Across Italy_](https://elitetraveler.com/travel/la-dolce-vita-orient-express-golf-route)

![celia british pullman belmond train](https://elitetraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/05/celia-british-pullman-belmond-train-interior-2048x2560.jpg)©Ludovic Balay