The luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express Belmond train curves through a tropical landscape in Southeast Asia. The iconic cream and green carriages are lit by a golden sunset, flanked by dense jungle trees and tall wild grass.

JOURNEYS

Shaping the sound of travel for Belmond's celebrated luxury train fleet

The Eastern & Oriental Express threads through the rainforests and royal towns of the Malaysian peninsula. The British Pullman runs day journeys through the English countryside in Art Deco carriages in service since the 1920s. The Britannic Explorer is England and Wales' first luxury sleeper train, its overnight itineraries to Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales setting a new benchmark in high-end rail travel. The Royal Scotsman snakes through the Scottish Highland stopping off at lochs and distilleries. An individual music identity has been developed for each, handling the romance and heritage of rail without tipping into pastiche, enhancing anticipation in lounges, composure in dining cars and social warmth in bar environments.

The theatrical Celia carriage aboard the British Pullman, A Belmond Train, designed by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. The opulent interior features a curved purple velvet lounge sofa, a burl wood cocktail bar with fresh flowers, and hand-painted wall panels.

A reflection in a coffered, mirrored ceiling shows a passenger reading a newspaper inside a lavish, wood-paneled dining car on the Britannic Explorer, a Belmond train. He sits at an intimately lit table formally set with fine china and linens, backdropped by a vibrant custom painting of dancing figures.

Interior view looking down the center of the plush, botanical-inspired lounge carriage of the Britannic Explorer, a Belmond train. The elegant bar car features rich dark wood paneling, velvet seating in earthy amber tones, patterned carpets, and abundant potted ferns and palms under warm architectural lighting.

Each train curated for its own world

For the British Pullman, our AV design team came in alongside the music curation.

A moving carriage presents acoustic challenges that a static hotel never does, and speaker placement, zoning and content were developed together to account for background noise and vibration throughout the train.

A woman sits in a luxury private cabin on the Eastern & Oriental Express train by Belmond, reading a book by a large panoramic window. The warm, dimly lit compartment is clad in ornate cherrywood paneling with decorative marquetry, plush velvet seating, patterned throw pillows, and traditional Southeast Asian design details.

Each train curated for its own world

For the British Pullman, our AV design team came in alongside the music curation.

A close-up of a fine dining table set inside a luxury carriage on the Eastern & Oriental Express train by Belmond. Elegant plates feature gourmet seafood dishes, accompanied by fine crystal wine glasses, a woven bread basket, a vibrant green cocktail, and a vintage-style table lamp casting a warm glow against the window.

Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train

Music steeped in history and culture, for a mesmerising journey

The E&OE relaunched in 2024 with restyled interiors - cherry-panelled cabins, a Tiger Orchid carpet running the full length of the Piano Bar, new routes taking guests from Singapore through Kuala Lumpur to Penang's UNESCO-listed George Town. Music was curated across the restaurant cars, Piano Bar and open-air Observation Car, each space shaped around its own identity and energy. Guests gravitate to the Observation Car as the landscape changes around them. The music draws on decades of the region's recorded history, reframed and produced with a pulse that mirrors the rhythm of wheels on track, and guests find themselves mesmerised without quite knowing why.

A woman in a pink slip dress stands on the open-air observation deck of the Eastern & Oriental Express train by Belmond. Leaning against the polished brass railings, her hair blows in the wind as she looks out at the blurred tropical palm trees and jungle landscape rushing past.

PERSPECTIVE

“Soundtracking a journey is a different art to soundtracking a room. Belmond’s trains are among our most rewarding briefs because the music has to travel: setting the scene, shifting with the landscape and carrying the story forward.”

Udi RadomskySenior Creative Lead, Music Concierge

Explora II luxury cruise ship stern, featuring a semi-circular pool and rows of lounge chairs on deck.

The vibrant all-red interior of the Razzle Dazzle restaurant onboard a Virgin Voyages cruise ship. Red bar tables, chairs, and minimalist dome lamps are set against a backdrop of bold, diagonal black-and-red camouflage striped walls.

Outdoor bar at the Pirules Garden Kitchen within the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende

Experience is everything. Make your music count.

If you are shaping an environment where atmosphere matters, we'd like to talk.