Belmond has unveiled Celia, a breathtaking new private dining and events carriage aboard the British Pullman — and it may just be the most extraordinary way to travel through the English countryside.
Launched in May 2026, Celia is the creation of two of the entertainment world’s most celebrated visionaries: filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and his longtime collaborator, Oscar-winning costume and production designer Catherine Martin.
The result is a rolling jewel box unlike anything seen in luxury train travel before.
Who Is Celia?
The carriage takes its name — and its entire design narrative — from a fictional muse: Celia, an imagined West End leading lady gifted her own Pullman car in 1932 in honour of a star-making performance as Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Every inch of the carriage’s interiors weaves together her story and Shakespearean symbolism, creating what Luhrmann describes as a “dreamlike cinematic atmosphere.”
The pansy, the flower squeezed into Titania’s ear in the play, appears throughout the carriage’s textiles and marquetry — a poetic flourish that rewards the attentive guest. Celia herself is immortalised in the marquetry panels as Titania, frozen in a moment of theatrical triumph.
A Theatrical Interior Like No Other
Seating up to 12 guests, Celia is divided into three distinct spaces — a bar and lounge, a private snug, and a formal dining room — each revealed through sweeping velvet curtains that mimic the acts of a stage play. It is an experience as much as a journey.
The bar lounge sets the tone immediately: parquet floors, intricate patterned walls, and enchanting fairy motifs establish a world apart from everyday life. In the snug, a boldly coloured carpet leads to a plush tasselled purple velvet sofa.
The dining room, meanwhile, features patterned marquetry crafted by long-standing Belmond collaborators Dunn & Son, green and maroon scalloped chairs, and backlit glass ceilings designed to evoke the sensation of dining inside a theatrical jewel box.
Catherine Martin handpicked an all-British roster of artisans for the project, including bespoke furniture designer Bill Cleyndert, Tony Sandles Bespoke Glass studio, embroiderers Hand and Lock, and fine bone china specialist Duchess China. Cutlery is by David Mellor; glassware by Waterford Crystal. Even the carriage’s signature scent has been personally selected by Luhrmann and Martin to fully immerse guests in Celia’s world.
The Ultimate Bespoke Experience
Celia is not simply a beautiful space — it is a fully personalised service. From the moment of booking, guests are assigned a dedicated personal experience curator, a role created exclusively for Celia. Every detail, from private menus designed in collaboration with the carriage’s own chef to wine selections and live entertainment, is agreed upon in advance.
On the day of travel, guests are collected by private luxury transfer from any London hotel and chauffeured to Victoria Station, where their dedicated team of stewards awaits. The journey begins with champagne in the lounge; when lunch or dinner is served, the theatrical curtains draw back to reveal a transformed entertainment space complete with stage and dance floor. Live performances, DJ sets, and bespoke playlists can all be arranged.
Cocktails are the work of Monica Berg, master mixologist and co-founder of Tayer + Elementary — consistently ranked among the world’s top five bars — who has created an exclusive drinks list available only aboard Celia.
Why You Need to Book
Celia represents a new benchmark in luxury travel — part theatre, part dining room, part rolling work of art. For those seeking the most intimate and extraordinary way to experience the British countryside, the curtain has just risen.
