THE BRITISH PULLMAN, A BELMOND TRAIN PRESENTS CELIA BY BAZ LUHRMANN & CATHERINE MARTIN

Images courtesy of British Pullman, A Belmond Train

Private Dining and Entertainment on Rails

There are journeys that simply transport, and others that quietly transform the way we experience time and place. With Celia, British Pullman, A Belmond Train introduces a new chapter in travel—one where movement becomes narrative, and design is lived rather than observed.

Set within an original 1932 Pullman carriage, Celia is conceived as a private dining and entertainment space for up to twelve guests. More than a carriage, it reads as a moving interior—intimate, theatrical, and deeply atmospheric. As the train glides through the British countryside, the experience unfolds with a sense of rhythm and pause, shaped as much by its surroundings as by the space itself.

Designed by filmmaker Baz Luhrmann alongside Academy Award–winning designer Catherine Martin, Celia draws inspiration from London’s 1930s West End theatre scene, vintage cinema, and the fantastical world of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The result is a cinematic interior rich in texture and detail—layered, expressive, and guided by a strong sense of storytelling.

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Operating as a fully self-contained private carriage, Celia features its own cocktail bar, lounge, dining area, and entertainment space, complete with dedicated stewards and the option of a private chef. The interior adapts fluidly, shifting from intimate dinners to celebratory gatherings, from theatrical settings to moments of dance and performance. Each configuration responds to the tempo of the occasion, allowing every journey to feel personal and unrepeatable.

At the heart of the design lies a fictional muse imagined by Luhrmann—a West End leading lady gifted her own Pullman carriage in 1932 in honour of an era-defining performance as Titania, Queen of the Fairies. This narrative quietly informs the interiors, weaving romance, wit, and a sense of after-hours mischief into the space. Heavy theatre curtains divide the carriage into scenes, while floral motifs reference both Shakespearean fantasy and the passing landscapes beyond the windows.

British craftsmanship anchors Celia’s expressive design language. A carefully curated network of artisans contributes to the carriage, from marquetry specialists and bespoke furniture makers to embroiderers, glass studios, and fine bone china manufacturers. Materiality takes centre stage: an elaborate fabric ceiling crowns veneered marquetry panels and custom parquet flooring, layered with plush velvet upholstery in deep greens, reds, purples, and golds. Even the powder room becomes an immersive moment, detailed with hand-painted walls and mosaic finishes.

Speaking about the carriage, Baz Luhrmann said, “For Catherine and I, creating Celia was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, allowing us to push the boundaries of creativity, luxury, and uniqueness. Stepping inside the carriage is like being transported into another world, and one in which 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. All of this unfolds as you drift through the countryside, feeling as though you’ve stepped inside A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s a playful and exceptionally unique way to explore the UK, at your own pace and according to your own rhythm and story.”

Catherine Martin added, “Celia gives travellers the rare opportunity to inhabit the nostalgia of another era. The carriage offers the ultimate luxury — the time and space to truly connect with the journey itself – and it allows the mind to decelerate, opening the possibility of deeper connection not only to oneself and to others, but also to new cultures, new perspectives, and different ways of seeing the world. Onboard I imagine people eating, dancing and falling in love, taking photographs, celebrating life’s great moments and adventures — all within a world that offers a pause from the chaos of everyday life. Celia offers a moment of respite. A moment of celebration. A small, luminous bubble of light and love.”

Departing from London Victoria Station across all British Pullman journeys, Celia offers an exclusive and customisable venue on rails—one that reframes luxury as presence rather than spectacle. Here, time slows, conversations linger, and design reveals itself through experience.

In Celia, travel becomes theatre, hospitality becomes scenography, and the journey itself becomes the destination.